Morning Jolt: Can Putin Be Deterred from Pressing the Nuclear Button?

On the menu today: For the better part of the year, we in the West have been watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine and wondering whether Vladimir Putin might grow desperate enough to use a tactical nuclear weapon. Now we learn the U.S. government has been sending "private communications" to Moscow, emphasizing the "grave consequences" of using a nuclear weapon in the conflict. This raises some difficult questions about what constitutes an effective deterrence policy and whether a man like Putin can reach a point where he can't be deterred at all.

Is Putin Thinking the Unthinkable?

You figured something like this was happening behind the scenes, but it's still a little unnerving to see it in black-and-white, in the Washington Post:

The United States for several months has been sending private communications to Moscow warning Russia's leadership of the grave consequences that would follow the use of a nuclear weapon, according to U.S. officials, who said the messages underscore ...

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WITH JIM GERAGHTY September 23 2022 WITH JIM GERAGHTY September 23 2022 Can Putin Be Deterred from Pressing the Nuclear Button? On the menu today: For the better part of the year, we in the West have been watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine and wondering whether Vladimir Putin might grow desperate enough to use a tactical nuclear weapon. Now we learn the U.S. government has been sending "private communications" to Moscow, emphasizing the "grave consequences" of using a nuclear weapon in the conflict. This raises some difficult questions about what constitutes an effective deterrence policy and whether a man like Putin can reach a point where he can't be deterred at all. Is Putin Thinking the Unthinkable? You figured something like this was happening behind the scenes, but it's still a little unnerving to see it in black-and-white, in the Washington Post: The United States for several months has been sending private communications to Moscow warning Russia's leadership of the grave consequences that would follow the use of a nuclear weapon, according to U.S. officials, who said the messages underscore ...   READ MORE

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