Nuclear war or peace on Russia’s terms: The Kremlin has presented the West with a choice between extremes – analyst

The Kremlin has, for the first time, confirmed the possibility of a nuclear strike during the war in Ukraine.

This was noted by Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, in her Facebook post, commenting on the updated nuclear doctrine and Dmitry Peskov’s statement about a nuclear response to long-range strikes on Russian territory.

“This might be the first instance where the Kremlin has explicitly acknowledged the potential use of nuclear weapons in response to strikes on Russian territory using long-range missiles. Simply put, Peskov is openly admitting that the Kremlin is now considering the possibility of a nuclear strike,” Stanovaya believes.

In her opinion, Vladimir Putin currently faces a “significant temptation for escalation,” and she suggests that the adoption of Russia’s new nuclear doctrine was specifically timed with Joe Biden’s approval of long-range strikes.

“The current situation poses a strong temptation for escalation for Putin. Since Trump has not yet assumed office, such a move would not hinder any immediate peace initiatives but could bolster Trump’s argument for direct dialogue with Putin. At the same time, it would expose Biden to criticism for being a catalyst for escalation, potentially hindering Ukraine from further utilizing long-range missiles,” Stanovaya wrote.

She further noted that Putin might view the current situation as a “strategic ‘intermediate’ moment.”

“Assuming potential peace initiatives from Trump while emphasizing, in his view, the ‘irresponsibility’ of Biden’s policies, Putin may try to present the West with a stark choice between two extremes: ‘Do you want nuclear war? You’ll get it,’ or ‘End this war on Russia’s terms.’ This marks a very dangerous moment,” the analyst warned.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has, for the first time, used American ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory, which has been confirmed by Russia’s Ministry of Defense.