Russian President Vladimir Putin may use the nuclear threat to deter Ukraine's counteroffensive against the occupied Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.
This was reported by analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
After the annexation of the occupied territories, Putin can directly or indirectly declare that the Russian doctrine, which allows the use of nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory, applies to the newly annexed territories.
Such actions threaten Ukraine and its partners with a nuclear attack if Ukrainian counteroffensives to liberate Russian-occupied territory continue. Putin may believe that the threat or use of nuclear weapons will restore Russian deterrence.
In this case, Ukraine and its Western partners will have a significantly limited time frame to launch a counteroffensive before the Kremlin annexes this territory.
As reported by Ukrainian News Agency, on July 14, the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated more than 40 settlements in the south of Ukraine.
On May 31, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will wait for the appropriate weapons to de-occupy its entire territory in order to avoid tens of thousands of victims.
At the same time, Zelenskyy is sure that the end of the war will be diplomatic.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy emphasized that it is necessary to defeat Russia before winter.
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