The Pentagon is not elevating into the realms of dangerous and provocative rhetoric in response to Putin’s move to put his nuclear forces on “high alert.” Rather, DoD is choosing not to engage in posturing and verbal escalation, perhaps given the seriousness of the risks associated with the prospect of nuclear warfare.
While many are now appropriately raising questions about Putin’s state of mind and sensibilities given his deliberate actions, there are a few underlying factors to consider when it comes to the possibility of a nuclear attack. By most available estimations and global consensus in recent years, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not seem to be suicidal or delusional, although some might now be legitimately raising questions about this. Therefore, he is undoubtedly aware of the paradox of strategic deterrence, meaning that he is certain to be fully and quickly annihilated by Western nuclear weapons should he launch a nuclear attack.
