So what do you all think of Putin's decision to move nuclear weapons closer to the Polish border

[WinchesterWoman]

Some say he would push the button because he knows that the West never would. I'm so interested to hear what people think.

[IamWendy]

I'm glad we decided to keep trident.

[Hassled]

Guardian link. In the article they quote the Lithuanian foreign minister: "This is a usual Russian tactic: escalate tensions, create a discord and then expect concessions elsewhere". Putin is a terrifying man.

[AnnaForbes]

I think NATO and US have been provoking Putin for a long time and it doesn't surprise me at all that he has decided to show off some of Russia's capabilities. Scarey times.

Love him or loathe him, Trump has been more conciliatory towards Russia than HC has. But then he made some nasty remarks about women a few years ago and that is somehow far more newsworthy than Russia placing nukes on European soil.

[WinchesterWoman]

I'm beginning to think the threat is real and Putin almost psychopathic. As if he thinks he could fire one and it wouldn't lead to mutually assured destruction as NATO would not fire back.

[BigChocFrenzy]

Putin is dangerous.
He's always pushing the limits to expand Russia / his power.
He has to play to nationalism & xenophobia, or the Russian people might notice how shit their life is
(sounds familiar ?)

So far his gambles have paid off and the West has always backed away, pretending nothing has happened, e.g. Ukraine.

Putin & Trump get on because they have so much in common:
extreme rightwing
misogynist
narcissistic

However, either could have a tantrum if offended and - if in power - kill large numbers of people.

[WinchesterWoman]

So do you think a nuclear weapon could be fired in our direction in say the next three years?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

He got away with pushing into Crimea, he's getting away with smashing Aleppo into dust, he'll get away with this. It is scary. I'd say it's the other way round, he's been provoking the un for a long time.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

if a nuke is sent our way, then well that's that really. The End.

[BigChocFrenzy]

Putin however is also v clever and fancies his chances against the idiot TV sleb Trump;
hence why the Russia secret service are trying to interfere in US elections (publicly reported by US security services)

[InTheseFlipFlops]

Don't forget he got away with shooting that passenger plane out the sky and then the treatment of the relatives and the deceased.
Last week He said that nuclear war with the west could happen soon.

[WinchesterWoman]

That's what I mean kitten: is it possible that because it would be 'the end' to fire back - we wouldn't? And this is what Putin senses - so it makes a nuclear targeting more likely? I'm a little concerned about this. I never have been before but I am now. I can't tell if I'm being ridiculous.

[BigChocFrenzy]

I don't expect Putin to fire off nukes unless one of his gambles goes wrong and he feels cornered.
Unlikely against anyone who has nukes themselves

Imo India / Pakistan are the most likely countries to go nuclear and even that I rate as very low probability.

[Hassled]

Mutually Assured Destruction worked as a deterrent throughout the Cold War, when relationships between the then USSR and the West were even worse than they are at the moment - so why wouldn't it continue to work now?

[BungoWomble]

Bit difficult to tell who's 'at fault' from ground level but the way Putin is pushing in Syria doesn't bode well. The truce didn't last long. We seem to have the Cold War back, just when western alliances fall apart.

[TheCaptainsCat]

I don't think you should worry. The Iskander missiles have been deployed to Kaliningrad before, it's at best a training exercise, at worst sabre rattling I think.

[WinchesterWoman]

Hassled: because P senses it would not lead to MAD.

Good points Choc and my most serious concern (along these lines) is a dirty bomb by Islamist extremists.

[JeepersMcoy]

I think Putin has big dictator ambitions and is escalating tensions with the rest of the world deliberately to ensure he stays in power in Russia. After all there is nothing like a good world war to keep a crazy president in a job. I don't think he will let off the nukes, but the more he pushes the west to condemn him the stronger the 'everyone is against us' narrative and the stronger his position at home.

He has absolutely no problem with completely making shit up and will twist everything in his favourour to make the other side look bad and him look tough, but unfairly attacked. I think other world leaders just don't know how to handle this level of psychopathic ambition. He scares the hell out of me!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I do wonder what would be enough to provoke the UN into proper action against Russia. I think I might stick my fingers in my ears for a little and hum nice things.

[WinchesterWoman]

I've made SHTF rucksacks. My husband is laughing at me - not because he thinks we won't need them - but because he thinks a few vitamins and wind-up torches won't save us

[AnnaForbes]

Cyanide pills are better than a rucksack if HRC responds militarily to Russia as she has threatened to do. USA wants war and I am worried. I think we may be heading towards a global conflict in which case we're all fucked.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

my instinct is to make my wood pile really big.
It's a shame my snow plan is identical to my world is going to end plan.

[WinchesterWoman]

Kitten our woodpile is HUGE. I'm also looking forward to burning up some of my husband's hoarded 20 year old paperwork and copies of Time magazine. Every cloud and all that.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

oh yes!! all of dhs magazines! We can now look forward to armageddon. Hooray!

[WinchesterWoman]

sadly it all means eating all the tins of tuna at the back of the kitchen cupboard

[AnnaForbes]

We have a huge wood pile and 12 litres of bottled water. That should see us through. I might also abandon my diet, there will be noone left to appreciate my bikini clad curves next summer.