Lately, Russia has been making some big threats about using nuclear weapons. This started after Ukraine was given the go-ahead to use some long-range missiles from the West. On November 19, President Vladimir Putin signed a new law making it easier to use nuclear weapons. Two days later, Russia showed off its power with a test launch of a big missile.

Some people in Russia think it's a good idea to attack the West with nuclear weapons to save the world from so-called "anti-human" liberal democracy. But even though these threats sound scary, they might not mean much. Russia's nuclear plans haven't really changed yet.

We shouldn't ignore these threats entirely. There are times when Putin might say yes to using nuclear weapons. But those times are probably still pretty rare, even with the new rules. It's hard to know exactly what those times are just by looking at what Russia says.

Putin has always been a bit tricky with the truth. So, it's better to look at what he might do to make himself stick to using nukes. This is what experts call "commitment strategies. "

Putin hasn't shown that he wants to give up other options. He's always found new ways to make the war in Ukraine worse, like maybe involving North Korean troops. But there are three things that could make Putin more serious about using nukes.

One is if Putin promises to always use nukes if Ukraine or the West does something specific. This would make it harder for him to change his mind. Another, more dangerous, thing is if he lets other people in charge decide when to use tactical nukes. This would make it more likely that nukes could actually be used.

The last thing is if Putin starts testing nukes again. He hasn't done this yet, which shows he's thinking about other big things. Like, he wants to keep friends with countries like India and China, who don't want Russia to use nukes.

So, even though Russia is making scary threats, it's not clear if Putin is really ready to use nukes. It's something to watch, though.

Is Putin Really Gearing Up to Use Nuclear Weapons?

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