Russia Rolls Back Nuclear Threats – Here Are The Possible Reasons: Voice of Sorting Hat from “Harry Potter” Forever Silenced: Leslie Phillips Is Dead

For months, Russia has kept large parts of the world in suspense with its war of aggression against Ukraine. Many people fear that nuclear power could make use of its large nuclear arsenal. Nuclear war between the great powers suddenly resurfaced in the realm of the imaginable – even if the chances of it happening were always slim.

The fear of a spiral of nuclear violence was not unfounded. On Russian state television, the propagandists threatened almost daily with the atomic bomb and the destruction of Europe. There was even talk of a “500-meter high, radioactive tsunami wave” that would roll over Britain.

The nuclear threats are currently going even further on television. This is intended to distract the home crowd from the lack of progress on the pitch. In recent days, however, many more moderate words have been heard from those who really have something to say and have the reins in their hands. They have scaled back their nuclear threats.

Three examples:

1. Vladimir Putin: The Russian president has repeatedly tightened his core muscles in the past. For example, on September 21, he said: «If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will necessarily protect Russia and our people all available resources to use. It’s not a bluff.”

Lately, however, Putin has sounded much more reserved. A nuclear attack on Ukraine is not necessary, the Russian president said on Oct. 27. This would make no sense – neither militarily nor politically.

2. Andrey Kelin: Andrey Kelin, the Russian ambassador to Britain, was very clear. “Russia will not use nuclear weapons, there is no doubt about it”the top diplomat told CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour.

Foreign Minister Sergei Shoigu has just assured his international colleagues that Russia has no such intentions. Amanpour dug deeper because she said the nuclear issue “is the most important thing we need to know”. Kelin stuck to it: The use of nuclear weapons is off the table.

3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: On November 2, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement entitled: “Declaration of the Russian Federation to Prevent Nuclear War.” In it the government writes:

In addition, Moscow wrote that it assumes that the existing agreements on the reduction of nuclear weapons are still relevant.

Why de-escalation?

Researchers at the Institute for The Study of War (ISW) assume that the continued threat of nuclear weapons did not have the desired effect. The Ukrainian government was not intimidated by this. Moscow cannot use nuclear threats to force Kiev into negotiations.

Important military personnel and parts of the Kremlin are probably aware of the enormous costs of a nuclear attack on Ukraine. Operating profit, on the other hand, would be very low.

The Washington-based institute believes diplomatic talks were the main reason for the change in Russian rhetoric. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan is said to have spoken with Putin’s advisers Yuri Ushakov and Nikolai Patrushev. The aim was to reduce the risk of nuclear war.

But it could also have been China that pressured Russia. President Xi Jinping said last week: “The international community must… […] jointly oppose the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons and advocate that nuclear weapons should not be used and that nuclear wars should not be waged.” A “nuclear crisis in Eurasia” must be avoided, Jinping said.

Ultimately, the Russians should be judged by their actions, not their words – this war has shown that more than once. The ISW writes that Russia could increase its nuclear threat again in the future. For now, however, there is talk of a “de-escalation” and the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine is “unlikely”.