ISW Report Diminishes Likelihood of Russian Nuclear Deployment in Ukraine

According to the ISW's findings, there have been no significant escalatory measures taken by the Kremlin in reaction to the West's provision of new weaponry systems to Ukraine. The report underlines that "the prospect of Russia deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine or elsewhere is highly improbable."

In his national address, as interpreted by ISW, Putin clung to "outmoded talk about negotiations and brandished the nuclear threat." The report posits that such a stance likely aims to seize the West's attention, thereby facilitating the Kremlin's information warfare strategies.

ISW highlighted that "Putin and Russian officials frequently invoke the nuclear peril as a means to instill fear in Western societies and diminish their support for Ukraine."

The research organization underscores that Putin persists in seeking the total surrender of Ukraine, along with the aim to debilitate and dismantle NATO. According to ISW, Putin views these objectives as "fundamentally aligned with Russia's national interests."

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The Kremlin's most recent propaganda effort appears to focus on creating an illusion of openness to negotiations. This tactic aims to coax preemptive concessions from the West with regard to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, ISW analyses suggest.

The institute also points out that a significant portion of Putin's speech was allocated to discussing planned economic policies and social initiatives, rather than the ongoing conflict. This strategy, ISW suggests, is probably intended to mitigate growing domestic worries about the war's ramifications on the Russian populace. The report also notes that Russia's defense expenditure for the current year has surged to unprecedented levels.