Russia's Nuclear Strategy Under Scrutiny Amid Escalation and Clashes with US and Belarus.

Putin's announcement to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus may not give him any real advantage on the battlefield in Ukraine, but it could expose Russia's weakness and potentially test its growing friendship with China. The move is likely an attempt to use nuclear threats to intimidate Ukraine's allies, and may widen the chasm between Moscow and the West. While the West has been critical but measured in its response, the collapse of the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia has heightened nuclear tensions.