Opinion

Is Putin Bluffing on Using Nuclear Weapons?

Alexandra Vacroux
Alexandra Vacroux
Russian President Vladimir Putin seated at table, gesturing

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestured as he attends a meeting on agricultural issues via videoconference in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, on Sept. 27.

Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

The real question we should be asking is if the U.S. is bluffing when it says that there will be catastrophic consequences for a Russian nuclear attack, writes Alexandra Vacroux in The Boston Globe.

“Let’s imagine that Russia is forced to use the most fearsome weapon,” former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, once considered Russia’s top reform-oriented politician, wrote on the Telegram messaging platform this week. Both he and Vladimir Putin have warned this week that they are not bluffing — Russia is willing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Asking ourselves if the Kremlin is actually bluffing is a waste of time. The Kremlin is warning us that they are ready to violate the nuclear taboo if Russia’s very existence is threatened. And they would. Putin could also choose to use other taboo weapons like chemical or biological agents. The point is that nothing is off the table for the Russians, and parsing speeches or social media posts is not productive.

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The full text of this article is available via The Boston Globe. 

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Alexandra Vacroux

Alexandra Vacroux

Executive Director, Davis Center (On Leave 2024-2025); Vice President for Strategic Engagement, Kyiv School of Economics

Alexandra Vacroux is the Davis Center's executive director, on leave for the 2024-2025 academic year. She is also vice president for strategic engagement at the Kyiv School of Economics.
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