Putin: sanctions "akin to a declaration of war"

[PeterB]

rgG wrote:
My question, where would he most likely nuke?
Would it be just to show he will?
He can accomplish the same level of destruction with non-nuclear options, so why would he choose to use a nuke other than the fear/shock factor?
He supposedly wants Ukraine intact, so it would seem nuking them would be detrimental to his purpose of annexation.
I don’t see how you use nukes on a place you want to inhabit, only a place you want to destroy. Wouldn’t that seem to imply he might bomb outside of Ukraine and truly start WWIII?

It is a pickle for Putin, isn't it?

The only "legitimate" (I put that in quotes) reason I could see for Putin nuking, is if he uses the same justification the U.S. used for Japan -- that it's a matter of swiftly bringing an end to the opposition. But yes, presumably a nuke would make the area uninhabitable, at least in the short term. Using a nuke is also inconsistent with his stated belief that Ukraine is historically and philosophically part of Russia ... you don't nuke your own country. But then, the guy is pretty unhinged, so who knows... graylocks has it right, he might be suffering from "eat your own children" syndrome.

[Bill in NC]

He has near total media control at home, and a public that believes him when he says he is only targeting military assets.

He could simply declare victory & pull out after his scorched earth tactics, which means it will will be decades before UKR is rebuilt.