Former US intelligence chief warns Russia could resort to nuclear threats
Former intelligence director Avril Haines says a Russian attack on Europe is unlikely but possible, and she has even considered a third-world-war scenario.
Avril Haines, the former head of the United States' national intelligence apparatus during the 2021-2025 Biden term, told a major financial newspaper that a Russian offensive into Europe remains unlikely but cannot be ruled out. She admitted she has seriously contemplated the prospect of a third world war if conflicts are not managed. Haines highlighted that Putin’s aggressive nuclear rhetoric is probably aimed at intimidating Ukraine’s supporters, yet US intelligence assesses that some of his inner circle might act on those threats if the situation escalates.
Scenarios she described include detonating a nuclear device in the atmosphere or conducting a limited battlefield nuclear strike that would be hard to trace. While she doubts a direct attack on the West, especially under a Trump presidency, she expects that mounting sanctions and continued Ukrainian weapons assistance will push Russia toward the negotiating table as losses become untenable. Ultimately, she believes any Russian aggression would likely consolidate NATO rather than diminish it.
