If World War 3 is here or coming soon, which country should be blamed for it? There are all sorts of theories floating around right now. Some blame Russia, while others blame Ukraine or Syria. Still others think the U.S. should shoulder the blame if the current global tensions escalate into an all-out war.
But it’s still a little early to be playing the blame game. And besides, war is sometimes like marriage—it takes two (or more) to tangle.
Ukraine demands aid
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress before meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry and then President Barack Obama. He asked for help in arming the Ukrainian army so they could better battle the Russian forces that are assisting the pro-Russia rebels in his country.
According to CNN, the U.S. pledged non-lethal aid in the form of night vision goggles, helmets, body armor and vehicles. Poroshenko said he was “fully satisfied” with the aid and that they received more than they asked for.
The Senate Foreign Relations panel unanimously voted to push forward an aid package that would give even more to Ukraine. Lawmakers want to contribute weapons and additional equipment, although the move hasn’t yet gained White House support.
Ukraine warns of a return to nuclear weapons
Ukraine’s defense minister threatened to fire up their nuclear weapons program again. Russia has already test-fired an ICBM missile to demonstrate its military power. Russian state TV also threatened the U.S. with a nuclear strike, although just theoretically at this point, saying that Moscow was capable of reducing the U.S. to radioactive ash.”
Moscow wants NATO allies to exit the crisis and stop backing Ukraine. But at this point it seems unlikely, as some journalists have said that World War 3 is already underway because of the battles between Russian and Ukrainian troops. Pope Francis also made comments this week which suggest that World War Threehas already started and is being “fought with piecemeal, with crimes, massacres, destruction.”
U.S. blamed by some for World War 3
According to Reuters (via the Inquisitr), some experts think the U.S. could force World War 3 because of its first strike policy regarding nuclear weapons. They also suggest that the U.S. is strong-arming other countries into agreement
Global Network Against Weapons in Space spokesperson Bruce Gagnon reportedly told Reuters that the U.S. Space Command is already planning to strike Russia with nuclear weapons. He also claims that the U.S. is planning to strike China in 2016.
Can World War 3 be avoided?
Meanwhile NATO officials are apparently considering how they can stop World War 3. In fact, Center for Strategic and International Studies spokesperson Kathleen Hicks thinks it could begin accidentally through “miscalculation.”
U.S. Naval College Professor Nikolas Gvosdev has reportedly drawn comparisons between today’s tensions in Ukraine and the beginning of World War 1. He said World War 3 could begin “through unintended consequences” and that “an economically interdependent world does not necessarily stop it from happening.”
Syria diverts some attention from Ukraine
But the Ukraine crisis isn’t the only hotbed for war right now. CNN reports that the White House and U.S. lawmakers have been considering ways to keep ISIS from taking over more of Syria and Iraq. The issue has apparently diverted their attention from the situation in Ukraine.
It also creates a second front upon which World War 3 could be ignited.
