Ukraine Crisis and Putin: Is Putin's temptation to press his 'nuclear' button increasing?

The international community's continued condemnation of Putin's war in Ukraine has reached a new level of crescendo.

As now reported by Jon King, even Angela Merkel, the late Chancellor of Germany, who 'appeased' Putin since his illegal invasion of, and annexation of, Ukraine's Crimea in 2014,

" has warned the West should not dismiss Vladimir Putin's threats over the war in Ukraine. The former German Chancellor said Western powers should not view Putin's threats as a bluff.

Her remarks came after the Russian dictator repeated a threat last month to use nuclear weapons to defend his country"

The former Chancellor emphasised that lasting peace in Europe can only happen with the inclusion of Russia, adding: "As long as we have not really achieved that, the Cold War is not really over either." (Express : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

True to form, as Putin' 2022 war with Ukraine continues to rage on, and without daring to mention Putin, she continues her 2014 'mantra' of appeasing Putin, whilst completely ignoring the fact that Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has categorically stated that,

"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) rejected Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s call for “dialogue and diplomacy” with Russia during their phone call on Tuesday, saying that “Ukraine will not conduct any negotiations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin in lieu of the “sham” referenda held in the four Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia." (State Craft: 6 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Added to which, as reported by Robert Moore,

"For weeks, officials in Washington have been supremely cautious in discussing whether President Putin might use a low-yield tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
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President Biden last night abandoned all such moderate language and issued by far the most alarming assessment of the risk of a disastrous escalation in the war.
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At a private event in New York, Biden appeared to suggest that the Russian leader might detonate a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, declaring: "We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis." (ITV : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Biden Warning - nuclear war: MSNBC : Alex Wagner : 7 October 2022

As also reported by Will Stewart,

"'The cause is the Russian president Vladimir Putin who seriously intends to demonstrate the capabilities of nuclear weapons - tactical nuclear weapons,' he [Valery Solovei] said. 'Putin cannot allow himself to be defeated. He has two tools left in his sleeve - mobilisation, which he is using [and] nuclear weapons.'" (Daily Mail : 6 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Daily Mail : 6 October 2022

Hugo Bachega and John Simpson also report that,

"Speaking in English at the president's office in Kyiv, President Zelensky said: "They [Russia] begin to prepare their society [for nuclear war]. That's very dangerous.

"They are not ready to do it, to use it. But they begin to communicate. They don't know whether they'll use or not use it. I think it's dangerous to even speak about it." (BBC News : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

BBC : YouTube: 7 October 2022

Having constantly threatened to press the 'nuclear' button since the start of his current invasion of Ukraine, is the 'nuclear' button becoming 'toxic' for Putin himself?

Merkel's retort that, "... Western powers should not view Putin's threats as a bluff [to use a nuclear weapon against Ukraine]" should now include the fact that US President Biden himself is warning Putin that he WILL face serious consequences should he press his 'nuclear' button.

We now also learn that,

"President Joe Biden deemed the disagreement between the Russian leader and a member of his inner circle significant enough to include in the US daily intelligence briefing.

... Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged there has been disagreements among Russian officials around crucial decisions taken such as mobilisation. (Rosie Jempson (left): Express : 7 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Has this development within the Kremlin increased the toxicity of Putin's 'nuclear' button for himself?

Or is it, as Will Stewart reports,

"Putin 'wants to take the world with him when he dies' and 'the decision about using tactical nukes has already been made', says political expert (Valery Solovei) behind claims over Vladimir's health" (ibid Will Stewart) (my emphasis)

As Ukraine's army continues to accellerate the pace at which it is gaining ground over Putin's forces in the Russian occupied territories of Ukraine in the south and the east, (cf. eg.: Express : 5 Oct 2022, Yuliya Talmazan : NBC News : 5 Oct 2022, ABC News (Aus) : 4 Oct 2022) is Putin's temptation to simply press his 'nuclear' button increasing?

STOP PRESS!!!

11.24 am BST: Reports are just coming in of an explosion on Putin's "White Elephant" Kerch Bridge.

Alexandra Fouché and Hugo Bachega report that,

A large fire on the only crossing between Ukraine's occupied Crimean peninsula and Russia was caused by a lorry explosion, Russian officials say.
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Road and rail traffic across the bridge has been suspended. Local authorities in Crimea say they will organise a ferry service between the Russian mainland and the peninsula.
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Russia has used the bridge to move military equipment, ammunition, and personnel from Russia to battlefields in southern Ukraine.
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As such, Ukrainian authorities said it was a legitimate target, as they vow to retake the peninsula." (BBC News : 8 October 2022) (my emphasis)