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Why Putin’s nuclear threats aren’t working anymore

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin oversees the joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear weapons drills along with Belarusian President, via a videolink in Moscow on May 21, 2026. | POOL/AFP via Getty Images Key takeaways Ukraine is increasingly launching drone strikes deep into Russia and threatening Russian-annexed Crimea, both steps that many once feared would result in nuclear retaliation from Moscow. Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats aren’t as effective as they used to be, in part because it’s not clear what...