All that Putin has left in his war chest with Ukraine is his 'nuclear' briefcase.

As I wrote in a recent blog (10 November 2022),

"Is Putin and his generals setting up Kherson for what they did to Grozny in Chechnya (1999 - 2000) and Allepo in Syria (2011 - to date)?" 

The destruction by Putin of Grozny in Chechnya (1999 - 2000), and Allepo in Syria (2011 - to date), mirrors Putin's obsession withbreaking the will of the people of Ukraine to force Zelensky to the 'negoitiating' table to end his war in Ukraine ON HIS TERMS!

In the words of one of Putin's 'war' reporters, Zakhar Prilepin (left),

"Why is Russia doing this today?, [i.e. "trying to totally destroy the infrastructure of Ukraine"?]

I don't know whether this was said in your studio, but of course we clearly understand at this moment. Russia doesn't want to, or maybe can't, wage a total war until victory. A total, catastrophic, direct as a steamroller kind of war that is supposed to end in the proverbial de-nazification, and de-militarization, and the signing of a capitulation. In this manner it's inducing Kiev to negotiate. That's what I think, and it seems to be quiet obvious. It's inducing Zelensky to negotiate. ....." (Ukraine and Other Stories : Facebook : 20 November 2022) (my emhasis)

The 'Grozny and Allepo' strategy is not quite working out as Putin expects.

As reported by NATO,

"Deputy [NATO] Secretary General Mircea Geoana (left) welcomed National Armaments Directors to NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (16 November 2022), kicking off two days of talks on bolstering Allied capabilities, inventories, and stockpiles, preferably through multinational cooperation.

Mr Geoana said, building on the message by the Secretary General to the Conference at their extraordinary meeting on 27 September. “We need to ensure that we have the munitions we need to credibly deliver on deterrence and defence in a more dangerous world, and to continue to provide support to Ukraine for however long it takes,” he added." (NATO : 16 November 2022) (my emphasis)

Added to which, as reported by The New Voice of Ukraine,

"Paris recently gave Kyiv two Crotale missile batteries for air defense and two multiple launch rocket systems for ground strikes, French TV channel BFMTV reported on Nov. 20.

The French channel quoted an interview of French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu with French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. [France to deliver six more Caesar howitzers to Ukraine in coming weeks]

Ukraine's request for radar stations is also "under consideration," the minister told the newspaper." (The New Voice of Ukraine : 20 November 2022) (my emphasis)

Further ramping up support for Ukraine's air defence against Putin's obsession with breaking the will of the people of Ukraine, CNN's Sarah Fortinksy reports that,

• "US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to Ukraine and warned about the potential for nuclear proliferation."
• “Russia’s invasion offers a preview of a possible world of tyranny and turmoil that none of us want to live in, and it’s an invitation to an increasingly insecure haunted by the shadow of nuclear proliferation...
• “Russia isn’t just waging a war of aggression. It’s also deliberately attacking civilian targets and civilian infrastructure with no military purpose whatsoever. Now, these aren’t just lapses. These aren’t exceptions to the rules. These are atrocities,” [US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin] said." (CNN : 19 November 2022) (my emphasis)
• Catherine Byaruhanga and Andre Rhoden-Paul also report that, "[UK Prime Minister] Mr Sunak's pledge to send more air defence support is exactly what President Zelensky would want to hear at a time when Russian airstrikes have destroyed nearly 50% of the country's energy infrastructure, according to the government in Kyiv. (BBC News : 20 Novmber 2022) (my emphasis)
  
   

 (CNN : 19 November 2022) 

Having failed to internationally justify his barbarism against the people of Ukraine, Putin is now also failing to conceal his blowing up of Nord Stream2.

As reported by CBS News,

""We have no information on possible initiators of this act of sabotage," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said at a regular government news conference in Berlin on Friday.
 
But some Nordic and other European media outlets have pointed a finger of blame at Moscow, hosting military experts suggesting that Russia has all the resources to carry out such a precise attack requiring careful advance planning." (CBS News : 18 November 2022) (my emphasis)

 BBC News at Six : 18 November 2022

What, now, is left in Putin's 'political' toolbox.

More and more "air defence systems", umbrellas for the protection of Ukraine's infrastructure and the people of Ukraine from Putin's 'Iranian 'doodlebugs', are flowing into Ukraine from the West,.

At which point, now, does Putin open that 'nuclear briefcase', that follows him wherever he goes, and recklessly pushes the red button?

Putin's 'saturation' bombing of Ukraine's infrastruction and civilian population will NOT force Zelenbsky to HIS, Putin's, negotiating table. 

Minsk1 and Minsk2 will NOT lead to a Minsk3 'agreement'

The negotiating 'framework' will come from Ukraine, not from Putin.

Angela Merkel's and Putin's Minsk1 and Minsk2 protocols are dead and buried!

All that Putin now has left in his war with Ukraine is his 'nuclear' briefcase.

And that 'briefcase'  is now pointing at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

As reported by EuroNews,

"Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of bombing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, which is occupied by the Russian army.
...
These are the latest strikes in months of explosions at or near the site. The nuclear plant is not far from the frontlines to the north, which has led to fears that a miscalculation could cause disaster in the sensitive zone. " (EuroNews : 20 November 2022) (my emphasis)

Sky News : 20 November 2022 : YouTube

 All, indeed, that Putin now has left in his war with Ukraine is his 'nuclear' briefcase.

 

(to be continued)