Putin’s Nuclear Bluffs

Russia has increasingly relied on its nuclear capabilities to deter interference in issues it views as important. The war in Ukraine has been no different, with Moscow regularly threatening nuclear weapons use to deter Western support. Above, an ICBM is launched from the Plesetsk facility in northwestern Russia during an exercise on Dec. 9, 2020. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia and the U.S. continued efforts to reduce their nuclear stockpiles, recognizing the danger they...