Blood-curdling bluster from Russian propagandists about nuking Western cities has been a mainstay of state-controlled television programs since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But what’s new — and chilling — for many in Western strategic circles is how the discussion and specific warnings have evolved to include Russia’s top political thinkers, including some with especially close links to President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
“The enemy must know that we are ready to deliver a pre-emptive strike … to prevent a slide into global thermonuclear war,” wrote Sergei Karaganov, chair of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, a
