General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPutin and associates have little to lose with nuclear "threats", and perhaps a little to gain
Putin is already cast as a pariah now so he doesn't have a reputation to defend anymore as any kind of reputable world leader. Meanwhile I've heard some pundits muse about NATO and/or one or more western nations imposing a "No-Fly" zone over Ukraine. This is something Ukraine has requested from the West, and Putin no doubt has noticed that increasingly the West is taking Ukraine's requests seriously, and eventually complying. If Putin's troops start increasing their rate of atrocities in Ukraine, pressure will grow on the West to do more than just add sanctions and send armaments to Ukraine. From Putin's perspective nuclear sabre rattling serves a purpose if it in anyway fortifies the resolve of NATO nations to steer clear of Ukraine's borders, either on the ground or in the air, no matter what Putin's forces do inside of them.
multigraincracker
(32,715 posts)his citizens. Bread and vodka go up too much and he is toast.
Tom Rinaldo
(22,913 posts)He may also be doing the unthinkable inside of Russia, rapidly hastening his demise as "leader" of that country, as the whole world, Russian citizens included, continue to react in real time to the war Putin chose to start. Events are moving faster than anyone can keep pace with, snowballing out of control for Putin. I think you are right.
C_U_L8R
(45,020 posts)Maybe they'd like to have a bright future, untainted by Putin's corrosive schemes.
orwell
(7,775 posts)...surrounded by sycophants. (We are going through that here as well...)
I suspect that the ratcheting up of rhetoric is his knee jerk reaction to the slow pace of his "blitzkrieg" and the rapid pace of the sanctions. In other words, it is a sign of desperation, not confidence.
In fact this whole adventure seems to be a sign of desperation.