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Since the invasion of Ukraine, many commentators have worried Russia might resort to nuclear weapons, either to turn the tide of the war or get itself out of a strategic corner, or even just as a warning to the world about its power.
Nuclear threats are nothing new for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2008 he threatened Ukraine and Poland with nuclear retaliation if they were to host a US missile system. And in 2015 the Kremlin said it would target Danish ships with nuclear missiles if Denmark joined a NATO missile defence system.
But are Putin’s nuclear threats a bluff? Probably, writes Russia expert Matt Sussex. In reality, using nuclear weapons in Ukraine would be difficult and risky for Russia for a host of reasons.
However, Sussex notes, this assumes Russia will act rationally. And as there’s no way of being certain about this, “the West must continue to take Russian nuclear posturing seriously – but also with healthy scepticism”.
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Liam Petterson
Deputy Editor, Politics + Society
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Matthew Sussex, Australian National University
Using nuclear weapons in Ukraine would be difficult and risky for Russia.
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Saul Eslake, University of Tasmania
The treasurer promised a “confronting” economic statement, but it held out hope of only a short spike in inflation and a recovery in real wages.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Chalmers must feel an element of deja vu. He was a senior staffer to then treasurer Wayne Swan during the global financial crisis.
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Tim Flannery, The University of Melbourne
Famous for his Gaian theory, James Lovelock was a maverick and a revolutionary thinker.
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Lucas Walsh, Monash University; Beatriz Gallo Cordoba, Monash University; Blake Cutler, Monash University; Cathy Waite, Monash University
With the Manly footy jumper episode providing yet another reminder of the prejudice LGBTQ+ Australians face, new research looks at the challenges faced by queer young people.
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Hal Swerissen, La Trobe University
Australia should have been better prepared for the predictable winter COVID wave in aged care.
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Benjamin Cooke, RMIT University; Aidan Davison, University of Tasmania; Jamie Kirkpatrick, University of Tasmania; Lilian Pearce, La Trobe University
Australia’s protected areas have grown and grown. But at the same time, ecosystems are falling apart. How can that be?
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Alastair Blanshard, The University of Queensland
Ambition is a two-edged sword: both creative and destructive. Debate about its value has raged since antiquity and there is a long tradition of casting ambitious women as monsters.
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Politics + Society
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Asher Flynn, Monash University; Anastasia Powell, RMIT University; Sophie Hindes, The University of Melbourne
As well as abuse, many Australian have also experienced threats of harm and harassing behaviour.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Michelle Grattan speaks with newly-elected senator David Pocock who has already made history by becoming the first independent to hold a senate seat for the ACT.
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Health + Medicine
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Freya Saich, Burnet Institute; Alexander J. Thompson, The University of Melbourne; Jacinta Holmes, The University of Melbourne; Rebecca Winter, Burnet Institute; Timothy Papaluca, The University of Melbourne
Direct-acting antivirals can cure hepatitis C in eight to 12 weeks. But while the rate of uptake in Australia has slowed, a greater proportion of those undertaking treatment are in prison.
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Science + Technology
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Meredith Nash, Australian National University
We’ve come a long time since women were deemed too “hormonal” to be sent into space. Yet gender bias is an issue women in the field still reckon with every day.
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Therésa Jones, The University of Melbourne; Kathryn McNamara, The University of Melbourne
While artificially illuminating the night allows humans to make use of the the night, in doing so we catastrophically change the environment for all other species. How can we fix this?
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Jonti Horner, University of Southern Queensland; Tanya Hill, Museums Victoria
Earth is moving through a bit of space where three streams of debris intersect with our orbit. These streams will give birth to the stars of this weekend’s show.
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Environment + Energy
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Neil Saintilan, Macquarie University
Tidal marshes can build up their soil to keep pace with sea-level rises – up to a point. It turns out the point when the marsh is drowned matches the average rise when global warming exceeds 1.5℃.
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Therésa Jones, The University of Melbourne; Kathryn McNamara, The University of Melbourne
While artificially illuminating the night allows humans to make use of the the night, in doing so we catastrophically change the environment for all other species. How can we fix this?
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Arts + Culture
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Amanda Coles, Deakin University; Justine Ferrer, Deakin University; Vejune Zemaityte, Tallinn University
Our new research casts a harsh light on the realities of working in film and television.
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Dennis Altman, La Trobe University
La Boite’s play is enormously entertaining, particularly when it takes off in the second half as what best be described as a sexy gay pantomime.
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