The West is no longer afraid of Putin's nuclear threats - Time

Western leaders are no longer afraid of Russia's nuclear threats and are increasingly vocal in their support for Ukraine.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Time magazine.

The publication notes that by escalating threats of nuclear war, the Kremlin is trying to prevent Western countries from supporting Ukraine, especially when it comes to weapons for long-range strikes on targets deep in the Russian Federation.

The publication recalled that on September 19, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for Ukraine to be provided with weapons and permission to launch such strikes.

Moscow's response to this document was unusually harsh. Speaker of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on Telegram that the resolution “will lead to a world war with the use of nuclear weapons.” He went on to write that a single Russian intercontinental ballistic missile could reach Strasbourg, where the European Parliament is located, in 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

In an interview with Time, European Parliament President Roberta Mecola called Volodin's statement “a typical confrontational reaction.” When asked whether she takes such threats seriously, the politician added: “If such rhetoric intensifies, we must be prepared for it.”

At the same time, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen noted that she did not know whether the rhetoric of Kremlin officials was a bluff or the truth. However, according to her, “we can never allow someone who does not respect democracy, human rights and everything we believe in - we cannot allow them to decide what we do.”

“The measured reaction was in line with a growing trend among Western officials. For many of them, Vladimir Putin has become like a boy who has shouted about nuclear weapons too often, blunting the impact of his own nuclear deterrent and allowing many Europeans to lose their fear of him,” the newspaper writes.

According to Frederiksen, “fear and leadership do not go hand in hand.” She added that the West's habit of worrying about Putin's “red lines” has led to too many delays in supporting Ukraine.

“The only red line I see in this war was already crossed when they attacked Ukraine,” the Danish prime minister said.

Time notes that, clearly realizing that the “red lines” are being ignored, the Kremlin continues to draw them more and more. The publication recalled that a few days after Volodin's threat to Strasbourg, Putin said that Russia should lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. The dictator suggested that in the event of a large-scale attack using conventional weapons, such as missiles or even drones, Russia could respond with an atomic bomb.

“This formal change in nuclear doctrine, which previously provided for a nuclear response only in the event of an existential threat to Russia, made headlines and sparked a new round of debate in Western capitals. However, this did not cause a noticeable change in tone on the part of Ukraine or its closest allies,” the newspaper writes.

Author - Olena Madiak, 05/10/2024