Until recently experts have questioned the credibility of nuclear threats Russia has made against Ukraine and the West over the past years. The reason for the dismissal of such threats is that until now Russia has done nothing despite the fact that several so-called red lines set by it have been crossed. These include Ukraine acquiring new and powerful Western arms, Kyiv using its drones to hit Russian airfluelds and refineries, and the most recent invasion of Russian territory by the Ukrainian forces. All this has led Ukrainians and many western officlas to conclude that Putin’s nuclear threat is a bluff.

However, Putin’s latest announcement about Russia’s plan to revise its nuclear doctrine and his warning that Moscow will consider it a direct act of war by NATO if British, French, or US-made missiles are used by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia, are now seen in a different light.

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