Putin’s warning shot

Responding to the loss of the stronghold of Lyman in eastern Ukraine, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said that Moscow should consider using a low-yield nuclear weapon. His language is highly alarming; it also betrays how badly things are going for Russia. The conflict is increasingly unpopular, doing untold damage to the economy, and has exposed its army’s weaknesses.

Unfortunately, the one thing Russia does still have is a vast nuclear arsenal. Now that Moscow has “legitimised” its illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory with sham referendums, Putin might be tempted to place those areas under a nuclear umbrella. Were he to press the button, this would obviously escalate the conflict horrifically, and isolate Russia further, even from its friends in the global south.

Hopefully this is a rhetorical threat to push the West into limiting its support for Kyiv. The world must tread carefully. As we potentially enter an era of brinkmanship, this is also a potent reminder of why nuclear non-proliferation is so critical. Iran, in particular, must never be allowed to gain nuclear weapons – or else it will hold its neighbours to ransom.