Will Russia Use Nuclear Weapons? Putin's Warnings Explained

President Vladimir Putin, who rules the world's biggest nuclear power, has repeatedly cautioned the West that any attack on Russia could provoke a nuclear response.

Will Putin use nuclear weapons, how many such weapons does he command and how might the United States and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance respond?

WILL PUTIN GO NUCLEAR?

Much depends on how Putin perceives the threat to the Russian state and his rule.