Will Putin now jump into the abyss of a war with NATO?

As I wrote in my previous blog entry (28 June 2023),

" Richard Ashmore also writes that,

"Vladimir Putin is “bitter and “disenchanted” like “Hitler and Saddam Hussein” in the final moments of their rule and could be on the brink of losing power, a defence expert claims. Echoing some of the worst dictators in history, the Russian despot will be “fuming” after the recent rebellion by Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin exposed his shaky grasp on rule." (Express : 27 June 2023) (my emphasis) "

This 'bitterness and dis-enchantment' of Putin after the recent Yevgeny Prigozhin rebellion is evidenced, as reported by Elena Salvoni (right), that,

"Vladimir Putin's forces unleashed destruction on a funeral gathering in eastern Ukraine today, according to reports, with dozens injured in an airstrike as mourners gathered to remember a fallen soldier from an elite fighting unit. (Mail Online : 4 July 2023) (my emphasis)

Mail Online : 4 July 2023

Salvoni further reports that,

"Preliminary findings suggest the strike - which hit the town of some 28,000 people miles away from the frontline - was carried out by a Russian Iskander missile." (ibid Elena Salvoni)

And as reported by Isabel Keane (New York Post),

"Ukraine is reportedly “preparing for a nuclear explosion” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, heightening tensions in the wake of Russia’s first overnight drone attack on Kyiv in 12 days. (News.com :3 July 2023) (my emphasis)

News.com (DW) : 3 July 2023

Isabel Keane further reports that,

"Russian troops have been ordered to leave the power plant — which has been under Russian control since March 2022 — by July 5, according to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine." (ibid Isabel Keane)

And as reported by Olive Enokido,

"The Ukrainian armed forces quoted "operational data" as saying that the devices had been placed on the roof of the plant's third and fourth reactors on Tuesday, adding that an attack was possible "in the near future".

Ukrainian president Mr Zelenskyy said: "Now we have information from our intelligence that the Russian troops have placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant." (Microsoft Start: Sky News: 5 July 2023) (my emphasis)

Microsoft Start : Sky News : 5 July 20123

Putin bombing a funeral in Ukraine, and on course to blowing up the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear plant, signifies not only his dangerous state of mind but also his real fear of losing power as his 'siloviki', the very backbone of his power, now also begins to disintegrate.

More significantly, as reported by Max Seddon, James Kynge, John Paul Rathbone, and Felicia Schwartz,

"Xi Jinping personally warned Vladimir Putin against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, indicating Beijing harbours concerns about Russia’s war even as it offers tacit backing to Moscow, according to western and Chinese officials.
...
Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said that “Russia has never and will never have China’s approval for using nuclear weapons”. If Russia used nuclear weapons against Ukraine, “China will further distance itself from Russia”, he added.
...
But the statement indicated that even China may be unable to fully deter Putin, said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “Nuclear weapons are the ultimate insurance Putin has against losing this war catastrophically.” (Financial Times : 5 July 2023) (my emphasis)

Deeply reinforcing Putin's "weaponizing" of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear plant against him catastrophically losing his war against Ukraine is, according to Fareed Zakaria (right),

"It is fair to say that Russia's (Putin's) biggest problem is not that it (Putin) is losing the Ukraine war but rather that it (Putin) is losing the 21st century" (CNN : YouTube : 3 July 2023) (my emphasis)

(CNN : YouTube : 3 July 2023)

Putin now teeters on the edge of the abyss of setting off a serious confrontation with NATO and, possibly, lighting the fuse for WW3.

UPDATE1 5 July 2023 : 17.26

Max Parry (left) reports that,

"Senior US Senators are demanding Joe Biden deploys the 'full weight of NATO' if Putin blows up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and now a former British Army colonel has pleaded that Britain supports that same threat against the Kremlin.
...
The UK must join the US and the rest of the NATO alliance to warn Vladimir Putin, that if he orders an internal explosion within the reactors of the Zaporizhzhia power plant, triggering a nuclear catastrophe, the West will be "all in" to crush the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a former British Army colonel has said.
...
In a grim statement, he [Hamish de Bretton-Gordon] said it was "quite likely" that Putin's troops had placed explosives inside the reactors at the nuclear plant and that if he was to order their detonation, the resultant contamination would travel "westwards" under the current weather conditions." (Express : 5 July 2023) (my emphasis)

Will Putin now jump into the abyss of a war with NATO?

 

(to be continued)