Nuclear rhetoric and escalation management in Russia’s war against Ukraine

Understanding Russian-Western nuclear interactions throughout the year of 2022 is the focal point of the research project. In particular, the following aspects have been brought to the fore: what statements and actions with a nuclear dimension did Russia and the West make in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine?

What reactions did Russia’s nuclear rhetoric trigger? In turn, how did Russia react to Western rejoinders, warnings and counter-threats? To answer these research questions, the researchers collected all politically significant statements and actions by the Russian Federation and Western states, particularly the United States and NATO allies, with a nuclear dimension.