Putin says nuclear threat is no bluff (opens in new tab)

This ends with

> We should do all we can now to prepare a massive political response that might deter Putin from crossing the nuclear line.

What would this possibly be? At this point, he must be feeling pretty secure that whatever he does he'll just face more scolding

There's an article from earlier this year that I wish I could find, that basically says the longer the west waits to stand up to Russia, the worse it will eventually be when we have to. I think this is coming true, and will continue to get worse

I’m surprised no one close to Putin has assassinated him yet, but I imagine he suspects that and takes measures to prevent it.

> Nuclear blackmail is also used. It is not only about the Western-encouraged shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which threatens an atomic catastrophe, but also about statements by some high-ranking representatives of leading NATO countries about the possibility and admissibility of using weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons against Russia. I would like to remind those who make such statements about Russia that our country also possesses various means of destruction, some components of which are more advanced than those of NATO. If our territorial integrity is threatened, we will use all the means at our disposal to defend Russia and our people. This is not a bluff.

From https://pastebin.com/9jGGjyRD, transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7ICK2zNTBE

The nature of all bluffs is that the bluffer insists they're not bluffing. Otherwise it is by definition not a bluff.

"This time I really mean it," he bluffed.