I think they weren’t ever going to use them because they know they would get nuked in turn. Once it became clear the bluff wasn’t working, makes you look weak to use a threat and not follow through.
Plus many of them are so poorly maintained they likely wouldn’t launch anyway. Missiles have a lot of upkeep
While this may well be true, Russia has so many nukes and nukes are themselves so destructive that it’s kinda cold comfort even if 90% of them fail
Yep. Mutually Assured Destruction.
Some countries will use the threat of nuclear war to get what they want. But what they want often involves still being alive afterwards. Putin, like the rest of the leaders of countries with nuclear arms, knows that a nuclear strike demands a nuclear response. There is no other option and unfortunately the whole world suffers as a result.
Although I don’t think pootin cares about his people and wont care if they get killed.
He may care about himself but he is a old man now with nothing left.
My understanding is China reminded them of their policies on nuclear escalation.
The threat wasn’t to attack. It was more of a warning, saying that if NATO was to step onto Russian soil he would use them.
Nuclear weapons are basically a defensive weapon. You never aim to use them but you have them as a deterrent. No country wants to mess with it or test whether a nuclear nation would use it
To do so is suicide, both to call their bluff or to use the weapons. So you get into a state where militarily no one can do anything (except wage a war in a country that doesn’t have nuclear weapons).
That’s kinda the purpose of nuclear weaponry. To use then it’s basically game over for everyone everywhere.
you get into a state where militarily no one can do anything (except wage a war in a country that doesn’t have nuclear weapons)
ok, I got it. Give every country nuclear weapons and then there is nowhere to wage war.
The proviso of this is that all the countries involved are led by sane, (reasonably) rational leaders. It also breaks down if they get into the hands of non-governmental forces. If they get into the hands of someone willing to act irrationality, a lot of people will be very screwed.
Interestingly, Ukraine was once a nuclear power. They had a significant chunk of the USSR’s arsenal. They decommissioned them, due to safety concerns. Part of that deal was protection from invasion (both from Russia and NATO). I suspect they now regret giving up their nukes.
MAD.
If Russia uses nukes what is stopping other atomic powers from hitting Russia?
I always loved this acronym, because while it means Mutual Assured Destruction, which is a given in a world with numerous nuclear-weaponry-equiped nations, it’s clear that someone who thought they could just send out nukes and not get any in return is literally madder than a hatter.
I’ll go ahead and venture another guess I don’t see mentioned yet. It was one of many stall tactics he’s employed, hoping to drag things out while the West (specific groups at least) grows weary of paying for proxy war.
Honestly I suspect the countries supporting Ukraine are the ones dragging it out. Russia is getting it’s military destroyed.
Five digit numbers of armored vehicles gone, around a thousand aircraft, incredibly expensive and irreplaceable military equipment in flames, and many men never coming home.
Russia is hurting because of this war, so from a certain cold-hearted utilitarian perspective the war is a good thing. Someone living somewhere like Latvia, and old enough to remember how badly the Russians treated them during the USSR, would see their military getting destroyed as a blessing even if they were sad to see the Kremlin leaving a trail of bodies through Donbas.
People act like Russia can just keep on fighting because of it’s larger population, but it was having serious demographic trouble before this even started. Whereas Ukrainians have a just cause, and they’re defending their homes and families.
