Seriousness.

This is coolbert:

Vlad and his threats of nuclear annihilation. How serious must we take the man. Not since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 has such talk been bandied about and all the time it seems.

Normally rational people since the beginning of the Ukraine Conflict talking about the use of atomic weapons in almost a cavalier manner, as to expect the big bang to occur and just be prepared for it.

From DW EUROPE. Deutsche Welle. German voice. And thanks to same.

"How serious are Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats?"

"Despite President Putin's statement on Russia's nuclear alert, observers say it's highly unlikely Moscow could actually start a nuclear war. But given Putin's volatility, his threats can't be taken lightly either."

[....] 

"Four cases in which Russia could use nuclear weapons"

"Putin putting the Russian deterrence forces 'into a special mode of combat service' is not, however, widely considered as merely one last step away from declaring nuclear war."

"Russia's nuclear doctrine, which Putin himself approved as recently as 2020, states that the country would only resort to nuclear strikes in one of four cases: * 1. when ballistic missiles were fired at Russia or an ally's territory, * 2. when an enemy used nuclear weapons, * 3. in response to an attack on a Russian nuclear weapons site, or * 4. in response to an attack threatening the very existence of the Russian state."

Doesn't sound so unreal, irrational, or hyper-hysterical to me. Sounds about the same as the atomic stand-off that has existed since the Soviets acquired nuclear weapons in 1949.

I guess the fear is that Vlad in some fit of extreme fit of temper and rage will lose all control of his faculties and produce the Armageddon everyone has long feared. Or the use of tactical battlefield atomic munitions will NOT necessarily result in the obliteration of all mankind.

That is what it is, isn't it??

coolbert.