Quote:
Originally Posted by Manic!
I don't think anyone in Russia is dumb enough to use nukes. They would rather kill Putin then see the end of Russia.
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We only need 1 person in Russia to be dumb enough for the nuke to happen, and given how the war is playing out, I have every reason to believe that Putin is either selectively taking in only the information he wants to hear, or he is being fed a stream of misinformation and half-truths that causes him to come to the wrong conclusions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by murd0c
I think Putin is being Putin trying to flex his strength he's always flexed. He's not going to use nukes, the only thing he has is trying to scare the world with them but say what you want he's a smart man and knows exactly what would happen if he did use them. I could honestly see him get assassinated before he has a chance to push the button.
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Assuming that Putin is only trying to flex -- but where will that get him? US and NATO have repeatedly indicated that use of nuclear weapons will not be tolerated. If US/NATO doesn't make good on its words, the next thing you know is -- China is gonna issue a nuclear threat to take over Taiwan; Fat Boy Kim is gonna issue a nuclear threat to take over Seoul; Iran is gonna issue a nuclear threat to have US lift its sanctions. US and the Western World absolutely cannot allow that to happen, so the only choice US/NATO has is to make good on its word with Russia.
As Ukrainian forces continue to drive back Russia troops, the only card left in Russia/Putin's pocket is the nuclear option. He needs a win of some sort before he can declare an end to the military operation. Otherwise, I don't even know how a man with his ego can look straight into the mirror and be OK with it, let alone the backlash he faces from within Russia.
In theory, the fighting should die down a lot, if not completely stop, during the winter months. Potentially, I can see how US/NATO might use that opportunity to press Ukraine into accepting a ceasefire, while tossing a bone to Russia with some sort of easing sanction type of deal (that would still severely cripple Russia's economy). It is far from ideal for everyone involved, and I'd say Ukraine is at US/NATO's mercy since the only reason Ukraine is winning the war now is because of the amount of support they have received from NATO.