Russian President Vladimir Putin's move to annex four regions of Ukraine on Friday could not provide a more "deadly backdrop" for a pretext to use tactical nuclear weapons in the name of defending the newly added territory, retired Air Force Brigadier General Blaine Holt, a Newsmax military contributor, warned Thursday.
"They're going to try to take their sham referendum results, from people who had to vote door-to-door at gunpoint, and they're going to try to legitimize those on the world stage tomorrow with a statement or some sort of ceremony," Holt, a former U.S. Deputy military representative to NATO, said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "'Welcome to Russia. You're in.' This could not be a more deadly backdrop for what's to come."
Russia, he added, has already restated what its nuclear doctrine is, and how it can be used to protect the federation.
"That lays the groundwork to say to [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, if you keep attacking these regions, then anything and everything is on the table for us," said Holt. "That's what this is really all about."
It is also vital to watch the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said Holt. Putin recently attended the organization's conference in Uzbekistan, and Holt said Thursday that he believes the group's countries "will all come in with recognition of this as absolutely legit [and] above board."
"Then you've got a new formula about how Russia wants to take land in this world," said Holt. "That goes back to Crimea."
Meanwhile, Holt acknowledged that "it is a possibility" that Zelenskyy will use the annexation plan to de-escalate the war, but "it's probably a small one."
"Just checking in with sources in Ukraine, I think that the peril is that if Zelenskyy says okay, this is the off-ramp, we agree that the Ukrainian people probably will have real trouble with [him] and his leadership team if they were to pursue that. I think Vladimir Putin sees this as the off-ramp."
Holt also on Thursday commented on the discoveries of leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea and said that although there are some, such as best-selling author Jim Rickards, who are pointing the finger at the United States as having a motive for sabotaging the pipeline, he thinks Russia is to blame.
"Jim Rickards is great, and he does great work, but I think what's shocking is that we're living in a place in time that we actually have to question the motives of great powers like the United States and Europe, and we can't just go 'oh, it's the bad guy,'" said Holt. "In this instance, my sources both in Russia and in other parts of the globe logically are indicating that this is likely a Russian action."
The matter won't be confirmed without solid investigations, but "it makes it very dangerous in the matter of who did it, and it's both pipelines," he added.
"What it means is that for certain, Europe is now going to see devastating circumstances in heating and food," said Holt. "What does Russia say if it is their false flag? Do they start accusing the U.S. and Europe of this and what do they intend to do?"
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