The Kremlin's return to the topic of the possible use of nuclear weapons is primarily related to Russia's situation at the front, internal problems and Moscow's desire to put psychological pressure on Ukraine and its partners. This was stated by political scientist and doctor of political sciences Igor Petrenko to the Ukrainian TV channel FREEDOM.
The main trigger that once again brings the topic of the use of nuclear weapons back on the agenda is the disappointing situation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. The Russian troops have nothing to boast about, Petrenko said.
According to him, that is why Russian forces continue to launch ballistic missiles and drones “Shahed“ against the civilian population.
The Ukrainian political scientist noted that there are problems in Russia itself - from economic stagnation to declining well-being.
„The economy is stagnant, the well-being of the population is declining. Although Putin is not very concerned about this, he still understands that there is discontent. Even pro-government sociological centers register this. The trend is obvious. Therefore, the Russian leadership must find ways to create a certain image of power. And, of course, a favorite topic is the use of nuclear weapons,” said Petrenko.
Another factor, the analyst called the transfer of the war directly to Russian territory. „The war reached the territory of the Russian Federation. Shelling, strikes on refineries and other similar events have a serious psychological effect“, Petrenko.
At the same time, according to him, the Kremlin's nuclear rhetoric is aimed not only at the domestic Russian audience. Moscow is trying to use the threat of nuclear escalation to influence Ukraine's Western partners. Moscow is trying to intimidate countries that help Kiev with a nuclear apocalypse.
Petrenko stressed that nuclear threats continue to influence Western governments, despite the repeated use of such rhetoric by Russia.