Don’t Panic About Putin
On October 27, Putin declared, “There is no point in [using nuclear weapons], neither political nor military,” but his previous comments have been none too reassuring. Despite these steps, however, the Russian war effort is floundering, and the Russian population has begun to question the war. Putin’s growing isolation and hardening autocracy do not mean that he views using nuclear weapons as acceptable. Furthermore, nuclear weapons are not particular useful as tools of warfare, in that they are ill suited for conquering territory. There is, of course, the possibility that Putin could use nuclear weapons against Ukrainian population centers in an attempt to break the Ukrainian will to resist.
4 months ago
Foreign Affairs
