Bowing to Putin's 'nuclear blackmail' would lead China to invade Taiwan: ex-NATO chief

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Nuclear attack on Ukraine will result in 'catastrophic' consequences for Russia: Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen discusses if Ukraine's recent gains will escalate the war and push Putin to use nuclear weapons on 'America Reports.'

If the West were to offer the Kremlin concessions over President Vladimir Putin's implied threat of nuclear weapons usage amid the war in Ukraine, it would serve as a signal to China that an invasion of Taiwan could be viable, a former NATO secretary-general told Fox News on Tuesday.

In an interview on "America Reports," Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned against a weak or patronizing response to Putin's suggestion he would not "bluff" about utilizing his nuclear arsenal.

Putin claimed last month "some components" of his armaments are "more modern than those of NATO countries… and if the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia."

Rasmussen said Putin's implied threat should be taken seriously, but that the ex-KGB agent also knows any offensive strike could cause massive return-fire on his own country.

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Ex-NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (AP)

"Firstly, we always have to take seriously statements from Putin. Maybe one of the mistakes of the past was that we didn't take him seriously. We should do that. So his nuclear threat is serious," he said. 

"However, I think the risk of Putin really using nuclear weapons is minimal because he knows that that would initiate a determined response from NATO and that would not be in the interest of Russia."

In response to a Wall Street Journal piece warning President Biden and the West against yielding to "blackmail," Rasmussen said other dictatorial heads-of-state would recognize the sudden power of simply their words and act accordingly without fear.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) vows to strengthen Russia's military cooperation with its allies at the Army 2022 International Military and Technical Forum in the Patriot Park outside Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 15, 2022. (Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

"We should never, ever give in to nuclear blackmail -- if we give concessions to Putin just because he's threatening to use nuclear weapons, that would send a very dangerous signal to autocrats across the world," he said, adding that the ruling Chinese Communist Party is watching the Ukraine war closely and would likely invade Taiwan because it would no longer fear a strong Western response.

"They would take concessions to Putin as an invitation to attack Taiwan," Rasmussen said, as Beijing sees Taipei as a breakaway province, and recently made aggressive overtures in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., visiting the island.

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Speaker of the U.S. House Of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), center, receives the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwan’s highest civilian honour, from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, right, at the president's office on August 03, 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a tour of Asia aimed at reassuring allies in the region, as China made it clear that her visit to Taiwan would be seen in a negative light. (Handout/Getty Images)

In the Journal column, Walter Russell Mead added Putin's own overtures put Biden in a tight spot, as yielding to Putin would weaken American credibility. However, directly responding to him could entrench the U.S. in the conflict.

On "America Reports," Rasmussen concluded that Ukraine has shown great militaristic skill and competence in using the weapons systems provided by NATO members and that the West should therefore continue to support Kyiv financially and resource-wise.