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What will Russia do now? Will Vladimir Putin really get to press the red button, after the US approved the use of their long-range missiles from Ukraine inside Russia?
In theory, he can. After approving changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine earlier today, he now has that opportunity.
In what was a veiled warning to the West, he lowered the threshold for a nuclear attack, allowing Moscow to respond with nuclear weapons if attacked by any state using conventional weapons. This includes missiles, planes, and even drones.
Moscow also now officially considers an attack on its territory by a non-nuclear power (Ukraine) backed by a nuclear power (America) as a joint attack.
It is not the first time we hear these threats. And now, after months of assessing them, Washington is finally calling the move Moscow's bluff.
There are compelling reasons why Russia will not follow. For starters, its main ally, China, won't tolerate it. More importantly, however, Moscow is unlikely to risk incurring the wrath of the new White House administration.
The signs so far are that Donald Trump will stick to his promise and pursue a quick end to the conflict, which is likely to favor Russia.
Launching a nuclear weapon now would almost certainly break his promise./ Sky News
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