Where Is Russia's Nuclear Red Line? Russian Expert: Nuclear Weapons Won't Be Used Against Ukraine—Unless One Scenario

As Ukraine increasingly intensifies drone attacks on Russian territory, discussions about Russia’s "nuclear red line" have become more intense.

Russian political expert Suslov addressed external concerns, admitting he has never imagined a scenario in which Russia would use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, as such a move would make absolutely no practical sense.

What are nuclear weapons? They are a nation’s last resort when facing existential crisis—they are typically not deployed in conventional warfare. Even if used, it would only be under one circumstance: if Ukrainian forces were to breach Moscow and Russia were highly likely to lose this new era’s “Defense of Moscow,” then nuclear weapons might be considered.

But clearly, this is entirely implausible. Many may be intimidated by Ukraine’s drone offensives, believing that asymmetric warfare could turn the tide and lead to an unexpected victory.

In reality, the decisive factor in the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains the frontline situation. Drone attacks merely increase the difficulty for Russian defenses but cannot fundamentally halt the pace of Russia’s advance on the main battlefield. Therefore, Russia does not need to resort to nuclear weapons to counter Ukrainian strikes.

Yet this does not mean nuclear risks are nonexistent. Should the West massively deploy troops and weapons—even nuclear weapons—within Ukraine, it could very well cross Russia’s nuclear red line.

Suslov believes Russia must respond firmly to every step-by-step provocation from the West—not just through verbal nuclear deterrence, but through concrete retaliatory actions. Only such tangible responses can uphold the red line; otherwise, repeatedly emphasizing nuclear threats will diminish their credibility, much like the fable of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

In short, debating whether Russia will use nuclear weapons at this stage is pure paranoia. The reason Western media aggressively propagates such narratives is simply to create a sense that “Russia is on the brink of collapse.” Clearly, the situation is far from that dire.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872582582211593/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author