Senator Warner Warns That Cyberattacks Could Pull NATO Into Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Sparking Slew Of WW3 Memes

Early this morning local time, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with shelling reported in major cities and clashes along the northern, southern and eastern borders of the country. Alongside the deployment of conventional forces, Russian cyberattacks against Ukrainian banks, government ministries and media outlets also ramped up. Some fear this cyberwar could pull the United States and other NATO countries into a broader conflict, leading to a sharp increase in memes about World War III.

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, shared in an interview today that he sees two possible paths into further conflict: either the Russian government purposefully launches a cyberattack against NATO countries in response to sanctions, or a piece of malware used in Ukraine hops the border and infects computer networks in a NATO country.

The second scenario has happened before in 2017 when a piece of ransomware called "NotPetya" used against Ukraine ended up causing billions of dollars of unintended damage across Europe in the most severe cyberattack ever. But the intensity and severity of the latest cyber attacks against Ukraine exceed any seen during the past eight years of the conflict.

#BREAKING Germany boosts cyberattack defence amid Ukraine invasion: interior minister pic.twitter.com/MbzU0fdtzg

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 24, 2022

Under Article 5 of the 1949 NATO treaty, allied nations are obligated to treat an attack against one NATO member as an attack against all members. NATO includes the United States, Canada and almost all of Europe. In 2016, NATO recognized cyberspace as a “domain of operations," meaning that an attack in cyberspace could be treated the same way as an attack on land, sea or air. So, if a NATO country targeted by a destructive Russian cyberattack were to invoke Article 5, the entire alliance could be at war with Russia.

I strongly condemn #Russia’s reckless attack on #Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives. This is a grave breach of international law & a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. #NATO Allies will meet to address Russia’s renewed aggression. https://t.co/FPpyuzmUXD

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) February 24, 2022

However, cyberwar remains a gray area. There are no clear rules of engagement for cyberattacks, or how bad one would have to be to start a full-on war. NATO countries are already under constant cyberattack, and nobody has invoked Article 5 over it yet. The American government also says it does not expect a major cyberattack anytime soon. But still, the risk has risen significantly in recent days.

We have no information to suggest a specific credible cyber threat against the U.S. homeland, but it is our responsibility to be prepared. And that's what we at @DHSgov do. #ShieldsUp pic.twitter.com/30ytFGUpTa

— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) February 23, 2022

The escalation in the potential of a larger conflict has subsequently caused WW3 memes to spike again across the web, including on Twitter, where #WW3 has trended again for the second time in two years as people post a wide range of takes on the conflict.

You have successfully finished corona virus. Your next game is World war 3 #worldwar3 #WWIII pic.twitter.com/DCQIS0vtN6

— Giddy_yutman (@GYutman) February 24, 2022

Y’all laughing at WW3 memes vs when y’all get that draft letter pic.twitter.com/GPlDLFggV6

— U.S. Military™ ❼ (@US_MlLlTARY) February 24, 2022

Me looking up the Skull Face's Speech about "language of nukes" so I can use it as a guide in WW3. pic.twitter.com/y4PAyvjog7

— based schizo (@schizobased) February 24, 2022

When they start World War 3 without you… #WWIII #worldwar3 pic.twitter.com/2mlO6i8H0M

— gautam sushil 🚩 (@gautamji_sushil) February 24, 2022