Putin's empty war threats expose his growing desperation

Vladimir Putin only has one song and he sings it over and over again. There are no verses, only a badly constructed chorus. It is a song of threats, belligerence and crybaby victimhood. He sang it in 2022. He sings it again today. And it has no more truth now than it had back then.

On 24 February 2022, in a televised speech launching the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he first threatened a nuclear attack in the event of Western interference. “Russia will respond immediately,” he said, “and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.” He has continued to make this threat on a regular, near-monthly basis over the ensuing years, most recently in July.

Yesterday, he was up to the same old trick. First, he threatened to “cut Ukraine off from the sea” in respon