Putin's nuclear threat could give rise to the risk of an unprecedented disaster

Analysts and activists warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ultimatum to the West significantly increases the chance of a nuclear battle, and world leaders have condemned his "reckless" and "irresponsible" threats. In a rare televised address on Wednesday, Putin urged the mobilization of additional soldiers for the conflict in Ukraine and issued a dire warning that the Kremlin would "definitely use all the tools at our disposal to preserve Russia and our people" if its territorial integrity was in danger. It's not a bluff, either. Following a succession of victories for Ukraine, it was generally perceived as a warning from Putin that he would use nuclear weapons to intensify the conflict. “The citizens of Russia can be sure that the territorial integrity of our Motherland, our independence and freedom will be ensured, I emphasize this again, with all the means at our disposal,” Putin said. “Those statements go beyond the Russian nuclear doctrine, which only suggests Russian first use in a conventional war when the very existence of the state is threatened,” said Andrey Baklitskiy, a senior researcher in the weapons of mass destruction and other strategic weapons program at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. “Coming from the person who has the sole decision-making power regarding Russian nuclear weapons, this will have to be taken seriously,” Baklitskiy said, noting that Putin’s citation of “territorial integrity” was tricky to determine given that the Kremlin is planning to absorb four Ukrainian regions. “None of this means that Russia would resort to nuclear use. This would be a truly world-changing decision,” Baklitskiy said. “And it’s not clear if such a move would even lead to any desired outcomes for [President] Putin … But extending the conditions for possible use amidst the ongoing war is a huge gamble,” he added. “One we all, including Russia, would be safer without.”