Do you think Putin will use nuclear weapons?

[colddayinhell]

I'm getting very nervous about the ramping up of the war and Putin's calling up of 300,000 reservists. It feels like this is a major escalation. I know that any use of nuclear weapons would mean instant retaliation but it no longer feels like a MAD scenario as it almost feels now like he wants a scorched earth and has nothing to lose and doesn't care that it would destroy everything.

The generals & oligarchs all have their stolen millions in off shore accounts, their families will be out of range if there is any nuclear attack
Putin has systematically killed all his opponents, many in their homes in Europe.
Those remaining know they will be executed if they don't obey him.
I think he knows if he shows any signs of weakness he is going to lose everything, even risking going to gaol for the rest of his life.
I can't see him backing down, he is a psychopath.
At least the Chinese are speaking out finally,
It will take the reservists/Russian people rebelling to stop this.

"we"? Or that nice Army that Mumsnet seems to think are available to fix any problem immediately, anything from flood damage to impending nuclear war?

Sadly, I think he is very serious and is crazy enough to pull a stunt like this.

I really do fear for the future.

I know people shouldn't bow down to a bully but a (very selfish and cowardly) part of me thinks for christ sake just give him Ukraine and piss off.

I refer you to the fable of the trees and the woodcutter, or alternatively , World War Two.

I did think this MySelf. It’s like Monday he will ask for a piece of pie, Wednesday another, Friday another. In the end he’ll have it all. Hell never be satisfied. The more you feed it the more powerful it becomes. Look what he does now with his power. Imagine him taking Ukraine, Georgia, Finland, Sweden. The world would have a huge problem

If he does there's nothing I can do about it, I will be terrified if the warnings go off but I will be dust in a few minutes. Worrying about things you can't do anything about is pointless.

Sadly, if it meant keeping my children alive then yes I would. My priority is my family first and foremost. I wish we didn't get involved in all of this in the first place.

I doubt it. Ukraine is right next door to Russia - wrong sort of prevailing wind and he's killing his own people and poisoning his own lands. It's also next door to Belarus and they'd not take kindly to it either and Russia aren't exactly brimming over with states prepared to be friendly to them in that neck of the wood at the moment.

However he seems to be mad - presumably if he was desperate to do it he'd defenestrate those generals who did not agree and get on with it.

But overall, I think he's using it as a threat. What everyone has to be careful of is that they don't appease him on the back of it and give him what he wants or even some of it - maybe next time, he'll decided he'd like a slice of Poland or the bottom half of Finland, a litlte bit of Romania - will we keep appeasing him everytime he drops the nuclear therat and then suddenly find he'd like a little bit of England?

Sorry to ask again, but where would be Putin's target? If he pushed the button?

Please don't ask that.

Looking on the bright side at least we can stop arguing about whether we still need Trident.

London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh. Anywhere really. However, it’s very very unlikely. He’d use them in Ukraine first is my guess as they are not a nuclear state so they can’t retaliate on that level. But with NATO countries if one is struck they all have to strike back. Whether they would or not is anyones guess, it’s so unlikely to happen. Putin likes to count his warheads on display

For anybody feeling scared or anxious I just want to echo a PP in recommending CountDaedalus (sp?) on tiktok.

He has been talking about all of this since it kicked off in February. He's incredibly knowledgeable and his videos (particularly the one linked below) has provided me some much needed reassurance.

vm.tiktok.com/ZMFdec2h3/

Hey thanks @Cheech88 😂

@InPraiseOfBacchus
No, I don't mean some mythical army of mumsnet, or any such patronising bollocks. I mean NATO, like I said.

It's already the start of a war, just like when Poland was invaded which brought ww2 about.

We appease Putin or we (and I mean all of us) are prepared for what war brings

Nobody knows the answer to that, and I am not an expert- I have an interest in it though as I find that learning about something that scares me makes me less afraid. As far as I know, the RAND institute conducted war games on the basis of a conflict beginning with a low yield weapon detonated in the sea somewhere as a show of strength to try and force the other side to either back down or negotiate. So if what you're wondering is whether Putin is going to wake up tomorrow and decide to nuke a city- I reckon that's vanishingly unlikely.

ANY use of nuclear weapons is a terrifying prospect. But just remember that there are lots of clever people with significantly more knowledge of all of this than you or me working to prevent this from ever happening.

I got so worried about it in February/March when this all started. I was literally on edge just waiting on my sky news app saying he’d launched one at us. He seems to have been out the headlines for a while there and I thought maybe he’d seen sense but no, it appears not. The last time when he threatened it on the news it was supposedly in response to Liz Truss’ comment about encouraging people to fight in Ukraine if they wanted to, before she was PM. When she got the job I did slightly think ‘oh god, he hates her’ 🙈I think he must just enjoy the thrill of threatening people and assumes he’ll end up in charge of the whole world 🙄

I think he's chatting shit but it's not impossible that he really is that far gone.

Thanks! That's a bit reasauring

No it'll only lead to the annihilation of major Russian cities from the West's retaliation.
If he's nuclear weapons are as well maintained as his tanks then it's unlikely they'll launch.
He's clutching a straws as even support from his cronies evaporates, having survived an assiniation attempt earlier this week he knows he's in a precarious position within his own ranks.

We've got a week off work coming up and have literally just booked a lavish holiday to the Amalfi Coast using the excuse, "Putin could go nuclear by Christmas so we might as well!"

We joked about it but I do wonder...

There's not even been a threat to the UK and the people of Mumsnet are already turning to cowardice.akes me embarrassed to be British and to be a woman at the same time. Shame.

Children exist in places outside of your little home bubble. Like Ukraine.

@Bus5 I can't believe you actually posted that.

You really think Hitler would have stopped at France and not come for you and your family next?

The fact that men and women of that generation didn't take your attitude is the very reason you are here now.

You really need to read some world history.

If you give in it immediately tells him and any other nuclear armed leader that they can do literally anything they like by simply threatening the prospect of nukes.

We appeased Hitler and he took it as permission to start WWII