Putin’s Soviet Throwback: Build More Nukes, Blame the West

Posted: March 2nd, 2018

On March 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted of new nuclear-capable weapons that could overcome any U.S. missile defenses, in a feisty pre-election “state-of-the-nation” speech. He presented Russian military force as a “guarantor of peace on our planet,” and also made some over-the-top economic and social promises, just 17 days before Russia’s March 18 poll, where Putin will seek a fourth term in an electoral contest that has already seen a major challenger excluded.

We asked our experts to comment on Putin’s speech. Comments are adapted below for print.

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Putin’s Soviet Throwback: Build More Nukes, Blame the West

What the U.S. Military’s ‘Overwhelming Force’ Means for the Middle East

Russia’s Poltava Attack is a Double Disaster for Ukraine

How Russia’s Military Went From Feared Power to Failing Force

Taliban 3.0: The Terrorism Threat and a Humanitarian Nightmare

Is the Defense Department Ready for an Age of Disruption?

Russia’s Propaganda Army, Pitching a ‘Nightmare Scenario’ For Ukraine