"Russian Official Urges Expansion of Nuclear Arsenal with 'Heavy Duty' Nukes"

Russian official Konstantin Sivkov has called for Russia to expand its military arsenal and deploy more "heavy duty" nuclear weapons, suggesting that the country should even consider blowing up the North Pole to teach the West a lesson. While Sivkov represents a hardliner, nationalistic element in Russia, his comments reflect a growing willingness among Russians to discuss the use of nuclear weapons. Experts warn that the easier it becomes to talk about using nuclear weapons, the lower the threshold for their eventual use, which could have catastrophic consequences.