My understanding is China reminded them of their policies on nuclear escalation.
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 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.
Pootin
RuSSia
Dude, grow up. There’s plenty of ways to criticize Russia without resorting to literal children’s humor.
Nah, fuck Russia and any kind of legacy pooty poots wants. The less his name shows up correct, the less he will be remembered.
The less you remember, the more open is the gate for the next one like him to show up. It’s for a similar reason that Germans very much do make sure the Nazis aren’t forgotten about, e.g. Let him have his fame in history books.
As an example of what to avoid and how to avoid getting someone like him back.
The current trend of nationalists who willingly adopt the Nazi theme and name is strong and everyone remembers Hitler very clearly. The problem is that the name is also shorthand for other Nazi bullshit. The message of nationalism is clear - teach the subject, show how it works and what to look out for, and attach no person to the ideology to undercut any culture growth around the celebrity.
The surest way to deter fascists is to make the losers look as uncool as they are by making fun of them. Even small nothing statements get under the skin of the dictators so be juvenile and save history.
Because they are no longer scared of losing.
They stopped the counteroffensive and the west is cooling on the whole support for Ukraine thing. They think they can win this now.
And unless we do something, they could very well be right.
And actually, nukes are part of the reasons we won’t do much. Not only western nations aren’t keen to send their kids dying in Ukraine. But Russia has nuke. A nuclear power engaging an offensive inside the territory of another nuclear power is a big risk of nuclear escalation. Remember the missile crisis in Cuba ? US officers considered a preemptive nuclear strike.
Nuclear power fight each other by proxy. See how NATO provide weapon to Ukraine, or how Wagner mercenaries attacked french troops in Africa.