Putin's deceptive strength lies in nuclear weapons—he knows NATO will not attack because of the nuclear deterrent, so he is 'playing a game of chicken' by attacking Ukraine knowing that escalation is constrained by this threat, but he is also damaging Russia because talented people are fleeing.

causalpending

Speaker

Paul Podolsky

Evidence Quote

Putin is smart enough to know that the only reason they're not doing it is because of the nuclear weapons...his strength, I think, is deceptively weaker than it actually is.

Source

Bridgewater Alum Paul Podolsky on What Russia Tells Us About the Future of the Global OrderBridgewater Associates
Created: 8/12/2026, 10:29:19 PM

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