I saw some people in the Ukraine megathread advocating for Russia to not launch the nukes in return if America were to nuke them, and it's scaring me the fuck out rn.
If whole premise of MAD is that a nuclear first strike, while killing your enemies, would be suicide. The whole premise is that of a Mexican standoff where if one party shoots, the other shoots also.
The suicidal nature of a nuclear first strike is the only thing keeping the world from nuclear devastation rn.
Please don't fucking advocate for victims of an American nuclear first strike to not retaliate.
(BTW, America is the only power who hasn't relinquished their right to a first strike anyways)
Russia's policy is close in so much as that it allows use ONLY in the event of aggressive conventional weapon usage that poses an existential threat to the state, which is essentially a territorial invasion with the intention of takeover or regime change.
This is fairly close to a no-first-use policy in my opinion. It's essentially a defensive-use-only policy.
deleted by creator