Russian Ready for WW3
By James Reynolds and Reuters
Vladimir Putin's new 'red line' for using nuclear weapons is intended to strike fear in the West and could lead to a 'very unpleasant surprise', experts have warned.
The Russian leader expanded his list of scenarios that could provoke Russia into using nukes on Wednesday, including Western leaders allowing Ukraine to use their long-range missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia.
Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet and Russian diplomat, said the 'red line' was intended as a 'very clear message': 'Don't make a mistake - all these kind of things may mean nuclear war.'
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'I'm really concerned about all the loose talk,' he said, with actors in Ukraine dismissing the threats as a bluff.
'We run head-on into a situation which is completely unfamiliar to us ... If you do not factor in the risks, you are likely to have a very unpleasant surprise.'
Russian media recently portrayed a nuclear blast on London, estimating 850,000 casualties
Putin extended his conditions for using nuclear weapons on Wednesday (pictured Sep 25)
A firefighter works at a site of a Russian drone strike in Izmail, Ukraine on September 27
A Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system on parade in Moscow in 2022. File
Is Putin bluffing?
Yes
No
Not sure
Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, took a different view.
He said that the new 'red line' was just a 'a psychological PR operation, by the Kremlin, without much substance'.
From incinerating London to drowning Britain under a tidal wave: How Putin has threatened the West
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'It is designed to scare leaders & voters of countries supporting Ukraine.'
Ukraine dubbed the threat 'nuclear blackmail', but assured that Putin would not risk alienating himself by using nukes on the West.
'In my opinion, this is yet another bluff and demonstration of Putin's weakness,' Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's internal affairs minister, said on X.
'He will not dare to use nuclear weapons because that will make him a complete outcast.'
Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow and defence expert in Oslo, said he did not believe Putin's comments could be ignored, but that it was important not to overreact.
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