Making Russia greater than ever by hook or by nuke?

The Chernobyl power plant, which suffered the worst nuclear accident in history in 1986. On February 25, 2022, Russia said that its troops had taken control of Chernobyl.Photo by Ilja Nedilko on Unsplash

It stands to reason that Paul Rogers, a professor of peace studies, is well able to diagnose war games. The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Professor Rogers analysed Vladimir Putin’s words and deeds with devastating accuracy.

By that analysis, Mr Putin’s determination goes beyond making Russia great again. It’s about making Russia greater than it ever was by dint of its nuclear weapons.

For, in addition to seeking regional domination, Mr Putin also wants to frighten the rest of the world into submission with the prospect of being nuked.

This is the context of his warning to other countries not to intervene in Ukraine’s crushing. What else could the following threat be — don’t interfere or you will face a response “never seen in history”.

“This means nuclear weapons,” writes Professor Rog…