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As Ukraine-related tensions between the US and Russia continue, a Republican senator and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, recently suggested in several interviews that the US might get involved militarily in case of a conflict, including through the use of nukes against Russia.
The US Strategic Command, which controls American nuclear armament and everything related to their use (including strategic communications) has launched Global Lightning drills designed to test the branch's readiness to engage in nuclear warfare.
While the war games themselves have long been planned and are routine for the force, their timing, according to reports, is hardly the best. The US is constantly expressing concerns about an alleged Russian invasion in Ukraine and mulling retaliatory options. The last Global Lightning drills held in April 2021, involved the US using nuclear weapons as a deterrence in a hypothetical standoff with Russia.
This year, however, Global Lightning focuses on a response to potential nuclear conflict with China. The drill itself does not involve any nukes or even launches or bombings. Instead, the US Strategic Command checks nuclear command and control circuits, incorporates last year's innovations into previous tactics, and tests decision-making in accordance with a nuclear war plan.
The latter was last updated in 2019, but the first scarce information about the changes emerged only recently via Freedom of Information Request.
The new US nuclear war plan reflects a transition that NATO has been experiencing over the past years – a shift from fighting terrorism and a return to "great power competition". The shift and the latest additions to the US nuclear arsenal reportedly had their effect on the way Washington expects a nuclear conflict to unfold.
The new plan no longer relies on a doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) – something that served in the past as a significant deterrent from using nuclear weapons (and something that still does in other countries' doctrines, including Russia). Nowadays, the Pentagon expects some US forces to survive a hypothetical first strike by Russia or another nuclear state, and then subsequently recover, strike back, rinse and repeat until the enemy is defeated or there is no one left alive on Earth to fight. This new approach is being tested during this year's Global Lightning war games.
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**Rumors of War
“Rumors of war are flying with a fury out of Ukraine and Russia. Massive numbers of troops are on the move. Almost unfathomable levels of firepower are being mobilized. Jesus warned that the last days would be characterized by rumors of war. The rumor of war in Ukraine is superpowered by Russia’s repeated threat of using nuclear weapons. But Ukraine and several other former Soviet bloc nations fit Bible prophecy in another powerful way.
One of the most famous and detailed prophecies in the Bible concerns an invasion of Israel by a confederation of nations. Chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel give the details, including a specific list of the nations involved. The first two verses say, “And the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him.’” [NASB]
It’s obvious from that passage and others that Gog is not a nation, but a national leader. The word “Gog” means “high,” “top guy,” or “supreme.” The first century Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote that, “Magog is called the Scythians by the Greeks.” The Greeks used the word “Scythia” to refer to the region north and east of the Black Sea. Today, that includes, not just Russia, but also Ukraine.
The Scythians also ruled the area east of the Caspian Sea that is today occupied by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Each of these nations were once part of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Putin seems intent on bringing them back into the sphere of Russian control. Also, each of these nations is predominantly Muslim, which may also contribute to their desire to one day join a coalition of nations against Israel.
But the first step in Putin’s plan centers on Ukraine. In area, it is Europe’s second largest nation. It gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. At that time, Ukraine possessed one-third of the Soviets’ nuclear armaments. With 1,900 warheads, Ukraine then held the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world. In 1994, Russia, Britain, and the United States signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances. They promised to ensure Ukraine’s security if it gave up its large nuclear arsenal.
The sad and horrible lesson to every other nation in the world is that if you have nukes, don’t give them up ever — no matter what. Today, if Ukraine still had its nuclear weapons, Russia would not be threatening. It’s as simple as that. Promises from Britain and the United States were not worth the paper they were printed on.
The other protector of Ukrainian security was to be that benevolent nation known as Russia. Now, it all seems like a cruel joke. In 2014, Russia stole Crimea from Ukraine. That gave the Russian military better access to the Black Sea. Today, Russia’s goal in invading Ukraine does not seem to be an annexation of the country, but a move to place a puppet government there.
In all this, remember that no matter what their nations do, people can still turn to Christ. Iran is another key part of that Ezekiel 38 coalition. And Iran is experiencing a tremendous number of people turning to Jesus. Prophecy tells us what some nations will do, but that does not predetermine the actions of individuals within those nations.
Whatever Putin’s motivations (and there are many), one really important fact stands out. His actions fit Bible prophecy to a tee. At some point in the future, Ukraine will again come under Russian control. And it may be only a matter of days.”
—Hal Lindsey**
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