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 ...

TODAY'S MORNING JOLT WITH JIM GERAGHTY IS PRESENTED BY

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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