Thread by @Newsweek

Biden thinks non-nuclear threats will stop Putin. His military doesn't...

Sources have lifted the lid on the divide between Biden's administration and his military advisers over nuclear weapons and Putin.

#Newsweek exclusive THREAD: 🧵

🧷: newsweek.com/2022/10/14/bid…

Civilians fear "It's the closest we've been to the use of nuclear weapons in over 50 years"
#JoeBiden #NuclearWeapons

"But I'm not so sure that we are communicating the right thing to deter Putin," says one civilian working at the Omaha, Nebraska-based Strategic Command.
#VladimirPutin #Putin

Do you think Biden's approach to the threat of #Russia has been strong enough?
#RussianArmy #nuclearwar

Two other senior officers who spoke to #Newsweek say that #PresidentBiden favors non-nuclear options over nuclear ones, should Russia cross the nuclear threshold.

The officials don't disagree with that view, and none of them advocate any use of nuclear weapons in a preemptive strike.

But to deter Putin from using nuclear weapons in the first place, the officers say, the United States needs to talk the nuclear talk—and not be held back by the fear of having to walk the walk.

Do you think the US would benefit from talking the nuclear talk?

"We're in uncharted territory," says a senior intelligence officer.

"Threatening to respond forcefully and creating catastrophic consequences for Russia without suggesting nuclear war: Is that strong enough to deter Putin? And is it really clear? I'm not so sure."

For full comments from a #nuclearplanner and two other #seniorofficers: 👇
newsweek.com/2022/10/14/bid…