by Jaime Reston, Republica (google-translation) – In the event of an open and nuclear war in Europe, with which Putin threatens, the MILITARY bases of the United Kingdom in Gibraltar and the joint base of Spain and the US in Rota (Cádiz) could be subject to attacks by Putin’s Russian missiles, even with nuclear devices.
Not in vain is it likely that in these two bases there are, in the six frigates of the ‘anti-missile shield’ of the USA of Rota and in the hidden ‘silos’ of the Rock of Gibraltar of the United Kingdom, long-range missiles with the capacity to carry nuclear warheads, as they surely know and fear in Moscow.
U.S. President Joe Biden has stated that Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats must be taken seriously because, according to Biden, since the Russian Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, “we have never been so close to an Armageddon,” or nuclear Apocalypse. And in similar terms, they spoke in recent days from the EU Josep Borrell before the European Parliament and the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg.
All of them the first Western political leaders who have access to secret and privileged political and military information. Biden, Borrell and Stoltenber agree in assessing Ukraine’s latest victories in the Donbas against the Russian army (the latest attack on the bridge linking Crimea with Russia is another relevant fact) to say that Putin is in a desperate situation, which may lead him to launch a nuclear attack against Ukraine.
Especially after being ridiculed by the advance of the Ukrainian army in the Donbas at the same time that Putin had just proclaimed, in a solemn ceremony in the Kremlin, the annexation of the four Ukrainian provinces of the Donbas that is now being recovered by volodymyr Zelensky’s army.
Parallel to all this we have witnessed in Spain in recent days statements by the Minister of Defense Margarita Robles against the statements made public by the German ambassador in Madrid, Margarete Goses, about the existence of talks between the governments of Madrid and Berlin for the possible creation, within the framework of NATO or the, EU of a ‘European anti-missile shield’ on the eve of the recent visit to Spain of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
After which President Sánchez and Chancellor Scholz were interested in denying the Spanish-German consultations on the European ‘anti-missile shield’.
Because Sánchez fears the reaction of the Podemos ministers, and that Putin will include Spain among his possible military targets as he probably already is due to the presence of the ‘US anti-missile shield in the Spanish base -‘of joint Spanish-American use’- of Rota. As can Gibraltar, the UK’s only military base on the European continent.
President Sánchez, in order not to create social alarm or more problems with Podemos within his government, is hiding these issues from all Spaniards. And not only because of the alarm but also because of fear that the radical left, with UP at the head that is against NATO, will demand the departure of the six American frigates from the Rota base with the argument that it may be a military objective of Putin that endangers the population of Cadiz.
Putin may not dare to launch a nuclear attack on Ukraine and even less on other European and Atlantic countries such as the United States, but if not, why does President Biden speak of a ‘Nuclear Armageddon’ alarming the Western population with his words?
Source: Rupublica – Gibraltar y Rota pueden ser dos objetivos militares de un ataque de misiles de Putin
This story was picked up by the Daily Express but the link not available at this time:
Spain warns British base at Gibraltar could be among Russian nuclear ‘military targets’
By Liam Doyle, Daily Express
Spanish officials fear a military base within their territory would be among Vladimir Putin’s first European targets in the event of war.
Vladimir Putin may target British overseas territories if he decides to look beyond Ukraine. Officials fear the Russian President would target Gibraltar in the event of a nuclear exchange. Western nations are increasingly concerned that Russia is prepared to unleash nuclear “Armageddon” on the world.
US President Joe Biden recently warned that Putin is prepared to launch nuclear weapons, having said last week that the premier was “not joking” when speaking about the prospect.
His fears are reflected in Europe, according to the Spanish digital newspaper Republica.com, as Spanish President Pedro Sánchez fears Putin will “include Spain in his possible military targets”.
Spanish authorities have warned a military base on the island of Gibraltar would rank amongst Russian targets in Europe.
The British Army operates Gibraltar as its permanent joint operating base for UK operations in Europe, the only one of its kind.
The Spanish Navy hosts the Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, another base at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea.
The 6,100 (9.5-mile) base sits in Cádiz and supports US and NATO forces in the area.
Naval units transitioning the region receive and drop off cargo, while refuelling and retaining logistics support.
NAVSTA Rota also hosts the US-led missile defence shield – a group of six American missile destroyers – equipped with surface-to-air missiles, sophisticated radar technology and anti-submarine rockets.
While other European leaders remain sceptical that nuclear war is on the horizon, Volodymyr Zelensky has echoed President Biden.
In an address to Ukraine on Saturday, October 8, he warned of a possible escalation from Russia.
Speaking English, he told viewers that Russian officials have begun to “prepare their society”, adding this is “very dangerous”.
President Zelensky conceded that, while Putin is not yet considering nuclear conflict, the communication is there.
He said: “They are not ready to do it, to use it. But they begin to communicate.
“They don’t know whether they’ll use or not use it. I think it’s dangerous to even speak about it.”
Speaking through a translator in Ukrainian, he said Russia would not use weapons as the country’s “people in power like life”.
He added: “The risk of using nuclear weapons is not that definite as some experts say, because they understand that there is no turning back after using it, not only the history of their country, but themselves as personalities.”
Source: Daily Express –
Gibraltar’s Choices on War Strategies & God’s Protection