It is more advantageous for Russia to threaten nuclear weapons than to use them. However, this danger should not be ignored, as the Kremlin has no moral constraints and no incentive to stop.
This view was expressed in an interview with Ukrinform by Ben Hodges, the former Commanding General of US Army Europe.
“There is no benefit for Russia to use a nuclear weapon, for Russians, the only benefit is the threat,” the retired General said.
He recalled that, for example, the Joe Biden administration was hesitant about providing aid to Ukraine, and that Washington never explicitly said it wanted Ukraine to win. According to Hodges, the United States was concerned about the risk of nuclear war. At the same time, he noted that countries that would be most affected by a Russian nuclear strike, if such weapons were used, are often less concerned about it than those located farther away.
Commenting on recent Russian–Belarusian nuclear exercises, Hodges described them as part of information and psychological operations, while stressing that the threat itself remains real.
