Could Putin start a nuclear war?

After invading Ukraine nearly a week ago, Putin has now ordered Russia’s nuclear forces to be on high alert. Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s defence editor, answers questions on whether the war in Ukraine could escalate into a nuclear conflict.

00:00 - Putin has raised the stakes
00:40 - Is Putin threatening nuclear force?
01:23 - What does Putin hope to achieve?
02:07 - How has the West responded so far?
03:11 - Are Putin’s threats posturing or a real danger?
04:15 - What does NATO need to do now?
05:18 - Could Putin really start a nuclear war?

Read our coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://econ.st/3pcnVPl

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With his war going slowly, Vladimir Putin raises the nuclear stakes: https://econ.st/3vrwxFu

What will happen next in the war in Ukraine? Watch our film here:https://econ.st/36RDhlZ

Why has Russia never accepted Ukraine’s independence? Watch our film: https://econ.st/3Hjr8T9

History will judge Vladimir Putin harshly for his war: https://econ.st/3hyNPIV

The Kremlin’s propaganda machine is running at full throttle https://econ.st/3vsbuCW

Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threat shows how much is going wrong for him in Ukraine
https://econ.st/36UqO0Z

Kyiv continues to defy an intensifying Russian assault: https://econ.st/3Ma8mS1