Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills to deter the West


NUCLEAR RISKS
US President Joe Biden reportedly hinted at no real possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons, but CNN reported that US officials have prepared for a potential Russian nuclear strike against Ukraine in 2022.

WAR GAMES
NATO is holding its largest exercise since the end of the Cold War, the “Steadfast Defender,” without revealing if it will include rehearsal of nuclear elements. Russia’s nuclear doctrine has been criticized for preparing for a surprise attack, but Putin has dismissed such calls.
Broadly, the doctrine says such a weapon would be used in response to an attack using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or the use of conventional weapons against Russia “when the very existence of the state is put under threat”.
Putin views the war in Ukraine as part of a centuries-old conflict with the West, humiliating Russia after the 1989 Berlin Wall fall. Ukraine and Western supporters claim it’s an imperial-style land grab.