Emerging Risks

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the West’s assumptions about the world became unsustainable.

Opinion | As the situation becomes more volatile and less predictable, is escalation the only way forward for a weakened Putin?

The West’s focus needs to be on saving Ukraine and ending a war that has the potential to get horribly out of hand. There will be plenty of time for punishment later.

War is happening right now in Europe, but every actor in the area can cause a butterfly-effect scenario for Israel and its neighbors.

In the simulation we mapped out, not only does NATO get sucked in unintentionally, but Russia releases nuclear weapons in its desperation.

The West, in particular NATO and the US, are already at war with Russia. Our leaders just don’t know it or are in denial.

Vladimir Putin has dramatically escalated threats against the West, saying devastating economic sanctions are ‘akin to a declaration of war’, as the US and Poland work on plans to deploy warplanes over Ukraine’s besieged cities.

While accidental wars are rare, they do happen. Here are five ways that the war in Ukraine could escalate to conflict between Russia and NATO.

The word “war” is presently banned in the official Russian discourse on Ukraine, but in fact the “special military operation,” launched on President Vladimir Putin’s order in the early morning hours of February 24, includes several wars fought in different domains. The massive re-invasion of Ukraine constitutes clearly the most kinetic aspect; however, at the highest level, Putin imagines he …

Russian “escalate to de-escalate” doctrine suggests Putin is thinking the unthinkable.

U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday that the nuclear threat from Russia is likely "increasing" as the invasion of Ukraine continues for a second week.

A look at prior Putin statements shows that rationality gave way to irrationally, paranoia and the decision to launch an armed conflict.

Biden administration officials are raising alarms about the threat that Russia will escalate its war on Ukraine with chemical weapons, but are stopping short of establishing red lines that would involve U.S. military intervention.

After two weeks of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the majority of Russian society apparently still supports the aggression. Pro-government opinion poll organizations cheerfully report 71 percent backing for the “special operation” and 84 percent of Russians trusting their military (ЕADaily, March 6). The conclusions of independent sociologists, based on browsed social network content, suggest those figures are only somewhat …

Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow has worried about maintaining transportation links with its non-contiguous exclave of Kaliningrad. These worries intensified when the two countries cutting Kaliningrad off from the rest of the Russian Federation (and Moscow-aligned Belarus)—Poland and Lithuania—became members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union. Moreover, the conduct of Russian …

ABC News asked foreign policy experts to weigh in on Russian President Vladimir Putin's options two weeks into his invasion of Ukraine.

On our current course, whether our leaders realize it or not, we’re mindlessly marching toward war with Russia.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr warned that China is the "biggest threat" facing the United States, warning that Beijing has a "highly aggressive plan" to take control of "key" technologies of the future.

Western officials and strategists say that there are good reasons to fear Moscow potentially using unconventional and outlawed weapons.

Attack said to destroy hundreds of drones near Kermanshah, prompting this week's revenge missile fire at Iraq site alleged to have launched UAV-destroying mission

The Russian leader’s actions have opened our eyes to how dependent we all are on the whims of one man and his nuclear arsenal.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, since its military drone fleet was wiped out, are ready to take over retaliatory strikes against

Tehran blames Israel for attacking last month one of its bases in the west of Iran, allegedly destroying hundreds of drones.

Last Sunday, Russian missiles struck the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security at Yavoriv in western Ukraine, a mere 25 kilometres from the Polish border. The strikes were carried out with cruise missiles launched by ...

Drawing cheap historical parallels will not help us understand the Ukraine conflict.

The U.S. believes that Russia may lean into its nuclear threat to project its strength as its invasion of Ukraine drags on, according to an assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Alex Smith of the Breakthrough Institute explains how Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead to soaring prices, food shortages, and other problems around the world.

UN atomic watchdog investigates claims Russian troops left after high doses of radiation. Plus, Trump may face court date thanks to reggae singer lawsuit.

For U.S. officials and world leaders, discussions of how to respond to a limited nuclear attack are no longer theoretical.

Nearly 70% of Americans surveyed by the American Psychological Association said they worry the invasion of Ukraine could potentially lead to nuclear war and they fear that we could be at the beginning stages of World War III. Researchers estimate there are about 12,700 nuclear weapons spread between nine countries, with the United States and Russia holding the majority, but experts consider an attack to be unlikely. Watch the video above to learn how a nuclear attack could play out. The world watched uneasily on Feb. 24 when Russian troops, under the orders of President Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine. “The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said March 14. Nearly 70% of Americans surveyed by the American Psychological Association said they “are worried the invasion of Ukraine is going to lead to nuclear war, and that they fear that we are at the beginning stages of World War III.” Researchers estimate there are approximately 12,700 nuclear weapons spread between nine countries, with the United States and Russia holding the majority. Researchers and government officials stress that a nuclear attack is very unlikely. “We are assessing President Putin’s directive and, at this time, we see no reason to change our own alert levels,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Feb. 28. “As long as these weapons are around, the possibility will always be there that they will actually be used,” said Alejandra Munoz, a project officer at the Dutch peace organization PAX. Researchers, academics and advocacy groups for risk reduction and nuclear disarmament have written reports detailing what a hypothetical attack could look like and the long-term impact it could have on the planet and society. » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC #CNBC What Happens If There’s A Nuclear Attack