For months, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin and his accomplices have threatened to use nuclear weapons. In addition, Ukraine was accused of wanting to use a radioactive bomb itself. Now the Kremlin has toned down its rhetoric considerably. According to experts, the nuclear threats have clearly failed in their aim to undermine Ukraine’s morale. Now the Russian leadership is trying to appease the West – especially the US.
In early November, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement on “preventing nuclear war”. Russia is convinced that nuclear war “should never be unleashed”. That is why efforts are being made to limit the number of nuclear weapons. Previous statements that indirectly threatened a nuclear attack have been downplayed. It was merely “referred to the statements of Western heads of state,” according to the Nov. 2 statement.
Shoigu: no interest in nuclear use
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had previously called his colleagues and said that Russia was not interested in using nuclear weapons. Shortly before that, Shoigu had spread rumors that Ukraine was planning to use a “dirty bomb”. Even ex-president and deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, softened his rhetoric. Medvedev is also not prudish, recently he wrote that there is a fight against “Satan” in Ukraine.
Since late September, Putin had increasingly openly threatened the use of nuclear weapons. According to military experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) – a US think tank – the Kremlin leadership wanted to push Ukraine into negotiations and reduce Western support for Kiev. However, the Russian threats missed their target and, according to experts, a nuclear deployment is unlikely.
“Rhetorical Turn of the Kremlin”
You see a “rhetorical turnaround by the Kremlin”. There are several reasons for the withdrawal of the Russian leadership. First, the Kremlin failed to break Ukraine’s political and social will with its nuclear threats. The country continues to resist the Russian invasion and has failed to be forced to the negotiating table as Russia had hoped. Kiev would not “accept at gunpoint,” according to the ISW.
Second, senior commanders are aware to some extent of what a Russian nuclear attack would mean: huge consequences for little operational gain. China may also have played a role. “The use of nuclear weapons or the threat of using them must be rejected,” the government said Chinese President Xi Jinping. The signal: If Russia were to use nuclear weapons, China would also turn its back.
Russian army confused
In addition, uncertainty in the Russian armed forces may have contributed to the change in their outward appearance. senior Military officials may be confused about what Putin’s order to annex Ukraine’s four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia means for Russia’s nuclear doctrine. Because it clearly allows the use of nuclear weapons when “the very existence of the state is threatened.” All front lines are currently located in the four oblasts annexed by Russia.
That’s why high-ranking Russian defense officials met in mid-October to discuss conditions for the use of nuclear weapons — without involving Vladimir Putin, as the New York Times reported last week. According to ISW think tank, the annexation order may have caused a split in the Kremlin. One faction is further for the war, the other for negotiations.
More propaganda on state television
Despite the Kremlin’s softening of the words, nuclear threats are still being made on Russian state television. They are intended to remind the population of the power of Russia – despite the military failures and heavy losses in Ukraine.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
