Arriving in China with what looks to be the so-called nuclear “football,” which he can use to order a nuclear strike, is Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was captured on camera on Wednesday.
“This is not a coincidence,” Rebekah Koffler, a former officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency and president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting, stated to Fox News Digital.
“The Kremlin almost certainly deliberately orchestrated the filming of Putin’s version of the ‘nuclear football’ – which is almost never done — and had the Russian media, which the Kremlin controls, highlight the fact that ‘certain suitcases’ always accompany the Russian president on trips,” she stated.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has dragged on for 20 months longer than his advisors estimated would be needed to capture Kyiv and subsequently seize control of the country, so he needed to garner more domestic support for his cause when he traveled to China.
The Moscow Times was informed by a political adviser and a Kremlin official that Putin’s trip was intended to unite the Russian people behind his invasion. However, Putin did not return with the significant agreements he had planned to make in the areas of energy and agriculture.
Putin always has access to the suitcase, but it has never been seen before, certainly not in such an obvious and concentrated manner. A member of the naval branch, the officer handling the case is referred to as the “Cheget” in honor of Mount Cheget in the Caucasus Mountains.
Koffler clarified that the exhibit is an additional prompt from Putin to keep the “nuclear card” “on the table” in the event that Ukraine attempts to annex Crimea or other seized areas, such Donetsk or Luhansk.
In a Telegram post beneath the video, the official news agency RIA’s Kremlin correspondent stated that Putin needs “certain suitcases” in order to “complete” his travels. The same cops can be seen following Putin as he departs a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in another videotape.
The president can securely communicate with the senior military leadership and rocket forces through the highly classified “Kazbek” electronic command and control network by using the briefcase. Kazbek backs an additional system called “Kavkaz.”
Throughout the Ukraine campaign, Putin has made numerous remarks about his nation’s nuclear capabilities and made veiled threats to use nuclear weapons; but, the longer the fight lasts, the more obvious his statements and actions have also become.
“The Kremlin threatens to use nukes if there’s an attempt on Putin’s life,” added Koffler. Given that Putin is the country’s commander-in-chief, the Russian nuclear policy “may be interpreted as permitting such a move”—”the very existence the Russian state at risk” clause—noting that the Russian state is synonymous with Putin’s “regime.”
According to Koffler, the egregious exhibition comes in response to an International Criminal Court demand for Putin’s arrest on allegations that he kidnapped Ukrainian children, an accusation that has been brought against him by a number of groups and Ukrainian officials. Putin, she claimed, wants to “give such authorities a pause… by creating in their minds what Moscow might do,” and he wants to “intimidate anyone” who might think about detaining him.