JRL NEWSWATCH: “On Russian Nuclear Threat, Putin Lets Others Rattle the Saber” – New York Times
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“While Russian hard-liners voice provocative proposals about using nuclear weapons, Mr. Putin presents himself as a moderating force — while never really taking the threat off the table.”
“… Russia’s hard-liners are rattling the nuclear saber vigorously these days, on television and in academic journals, arguing that an atomic blast — in Ukraine, in Europe, or maybe in a test over Siberia — is the only way to restore the West’s fear of Russian might. … Putin is … not exactly shedding his bellicose approach … but … when it comes to nuclear weapons, he seems to relish the role of the coolheaded decider, even as he keeps the threat of a nuclear strike alive. … Still, the idea that Moscow can hasten its victory in Ukraine by cowing the West with its nuclear might has continued to have traction in some circles in the Russian establishment. …”