Russian President Vladimir Putin was very close to launching nuclear missiles at Ukraine, leaked emails reveal. According to failed Prime Minister Liz Truss, writing in an updated version of her book Out of the Blue, she claimed that her final days in charge of the UK were spent dealing with “numerous hours studying satellite weather data and wind directions” for fear of having to cope with nuclear fallout heading towards the UK.
A report in The Sun states that “wrong weather patterns” could have seen a “direct fall-out effect on Britain” in October 2022. That same month, then-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had been in the United States meeting with American officials to discuss the same issue.
But how bad would the impact of nuclear missiles on Ukraine be for the UK? Well, we asked Google’s artificial intelligence-powered large language model Gemini to find out.
Gemini claimed that it would have “devastating consequences” for the UK for main reasons as well as nuclear fallout.
Those are:
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Global Escalation: A Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine could trigger a wider conflict, potentially involving other nuclear powers, including the UK. This could lead to a full-scale nuclear war with devastating consequences for the entire world.
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Economic Disruption: The global economic fallout from a nuclear war would be severe. The UK, as a major global financial center, would be significantly impacted by economic instability and potential supply chain disruptions.
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Humanitarian Crisis: A nuclear war would create a massive humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced and in need of aid. The UK, as a major humanitarian aid donor, would likely be called upon to assist in relief efforts.
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Environmental Impact: Nuclear fallout from a war in Europe could reach the UK, leading to environmental contamination and long-term health risks.
But when it comes to nuclear fallout, the impact on the UK is far worse, as radiation exposure, contamination and infrastructure damage could leave the UK a shell of its former self.
And specifically regarding the long-term effects, it states: “Even low levels of radiation exposure can increase the risk of cancer and other health problems. Radioactive contamination can harm ecosystems, leading to reduced biodiversity and long-term environmental damage.
“The destruction of infrastructure and contamination of resources would severely impact the UK’s economy. The fear and uncertainty caused by a nuclear attack could lead to widespread psychological distress and social unrest.
“The severity of the impact would depend on factors such as the number and size of nuclear weapons used, the location of the detonations, and prevailing weather conditions. However, in any scenario, the consequences would be devastating and long-lasting.
“It’s important to note that the UK government has plans in place to respond to a nuclear attack, including measures to protect the population and mitigate the impact of radiation. However, the scale of a nuclear attack would likely overwhelm these efforts.”
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