Key takeaways
- Gabriel Collins lists nine possible U.S. and NATO responses to Russian nuclear use in Ukraine, and none of the nine is a nuclear strike.
- The six regional military options include sinking all Russian military vessels in the Black Sea and destroying the Kerch Bridge.
- NATO airstrikes on Russian command posts and artillery in Ukraine, plus strikes on Russian facilities in occupied Crimea and Belarus, form the core regional package.
- Global options would strike Russian bases at Tartus and Hmeimim in Syria and consider sinking some Russian Navy surface vessels at sea.
- The United States and OECD would seize all locatable Russian assets and liquidate them as needed to fund nuclear cleanup and reconstruction in Ukraine.
Appropriate US/NATO Military Responses: Regional
•Sink all Russian military vessels in Black Sea
•Strike Russian military facilities and major equipment in occupied Crimea and Belarus.
•NATO airstrikes against Russian command posts and artillery assets in Ukraine
•Destroy Kerch Bridge
•Use QUICKSTRIKE-ER air-delivered standoff mines to close Kaliningrad and Baltiysk naval bases
•Provide Ukraine with ATACMS, allow them to be used for strikes into Russia
Appropriate US/NATO Military Responses: Global
•Strike Russian bases at Tartus and Hmeimim in Syria
•Consider sinking some Russian Navy surface vessels at sea
US/OECD Economic and Diplomatic Responses
•Seize all locatable Russian economic and property assets, liquidate them as needed to fund nuclear cleanup and reconstruction in Ukraine
Frequently asked questions
What could the U.S. and NATO do if Russia uses a nuclear weapon in Ukraine?
Gabriel Collins outlines nine possible responses, all of them non-nuclear. Regional options include sinking all Russian military vessels in the Black Sea, striking Russian facilities in occupied Crimea and Belarus, and destroying the Kerch Bridge. Global options target Russian bases in Syria, and one economic option seizes Russian assets to fund cleanup and reconstruction.
Would NATO strike Russian forces inside Ukraine after a nuclear attack?
Under the article’s proposals, yes: NATO airstrikes would target Russian command posts and artillery assets in Ukraine. The regional package also calls for striking Russian military facilities and major equipment in occupied Crimea and Belarus, destroying the Kerch Bridge, and closing the Kaliningrad and Baltiysk naval bases with QUICKSTRIKE-ER air-delivered standoff mines.
What role would ATACMS play in a response to Russian nuclear use?
The article proposes giving Ukraine ATACMS missiles and allowing Ukraine to use them for strikes into Russia. The step sits among the six regional military responses, alongside NATO airstrikes on Russian command posts and artillery in Ukraine, as a way to impose direct military costs on Russia after any nuclear use.
How could Russia be made to pay for nuclear cleanup in Ukraine?
The article recommends that the United States and OECD countries seize all locatable Russian economic and property assets. Those assets would be liquidated as needed to fund nuclear cleanup and reconstruction in Ukraine. Asset seizure is the only economic and diplomatic response on the list, paired with eight military options.
Would a Western response to Russian nuclear use extend beyond Ukraine?
Yes. Beyond the regional options, the article lists global military responses: striking Russian bases at Tartus and Hmeimim in Syria and considering sinking some Russian Navy surface vessels at sea. The author frames the second step as an option to consider rather than a firm recommendation, unlike the regional strikes.
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