Vladimir Putin is once again rattling the world with threats of nuclear devastation, using Russia’s massive atomic arsenal as a warning to the West. As Ukraine continues to receive Western aid, Putin is pulling out all the stops to keep NATO from stepping up its support even further. His message is clear: Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are at stake, and he’s willing to unleash the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons to defend them.
This year alone, Putin has ordered military exercises involving battlefield nuclear weapons alongside Belarus and announced the production of ground-based intermediate-range missiles—missiles that were banned for decades under a now-defunct U.S.-Soviet treaty. The signal is unmistakable: Russia is ramping up its nuclear game, and it’s not afraid to use its most destructive weapons to make its point.
With NATO’s conventional forces holding a significant advantage over Russia, Putin is leaning heavily on the nuclear card to level the playing field. By invoking the terrifying prospect of nuclear war, he aims to deter the West from increasing its military support to Ukraine, which he sees as a direct threat to Russia’s future.
In a world still haunted by the specter of atomic war, Putin’s nuclear posturing has sent shockwaves through global capitals. As the conflict drags on, Ukraine’s fate—and Europe’s stability—hangs in the balance, under the shadow of Russia’s doomsday weapons.
