Putin's invasion of Ukraine has pushed Sweden and Finland to the cusp of NATO membership. Putin doesn't like that. Russia is in no position to object.
While [Finland and Sweden] had already closed off their skies to Russian air traffic, the announcement about NATO membership further risked the wrath of the Kremlin, which has repeatedly threatened both against joining the 30-member military alliance. ...
In response to their public declarations of interest in NATO membership, Moscow has renewed its threats to retaliate and bolster nearby ground and air forces, deploying “significant naval forces in the Gulf of Finland,” according to Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council. "There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic [Sea],” Medvedev added, a threat dismissed by analysts in the region as saber rattling, since tiny Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic, is widely believed to already hold nuclear weapons.
Russia threatened the so-called non-nuclear Baltic Sea status and Putin naturally called on his big nukes for emphasis:
Russia said on Wednesday it had conducted a first test launch of its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, a new addition to its nuclear arsenal which President Vladimir Putin said would give Moscow's enemies something to think about.
Russia's conventional military prowess was deflated when its military took a swing and a miss in Ukraine that even ultimate victory--if his military can achieve that--won't erase. What makes Putin think anybody believes his nuclear arsenal works better?
Does Putin really want to fully expose his con that Russia is a great power? Putin might want to think about what else his advisors haven't accurately reported to him, eh?
NOTE: War updates continue at this post.
