Originally Posted by
IlPrincipeBrutto
I don't think so (imho, of course).
By (their own) definition, NATO is a defensive alliance. The question is, what's being defended?
Well, not NATO countries. They are there to defend the main partner of the alliance, they are the shield that gets wacked in the fight.
If plutonium confetti start to get chucked around, they will be directed from the radar installation in Sicily to start with, and will launch from the pads in Poland and Romania (and don't forget the Aviano cache of nuclear warheads, Italy again). These three countries will therefore be the first to be hit by a Russian counter strike.
The only way for NATO countries to avoid getting hit would be for them to abstain from combat, but that's exactly what their NATO membership compels them to do.
Imho, if things escalate to nuclear, the first exchanges will take place on European and Russian soil. To think that the EU will be left with any real power after that seems pretty far-fetched to me.
Obviously, I hope neither of us will get the chance to test our predictions (not sure if this is a wish or a curse).
IPB