Putin’s Black Tie Serves His Mourning Sign for His Soldier while Nuclear Button’s Use is Always His Option

Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69, landed at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the eastern Amur region on April 12. He was accompanied by several SPs and military personnel in the immediate vicinity. One of them had a black bag in his hand.

This was not the only time the “black bag” was exposed to the eyes of many people. Four days earlier, on April 8, when President Putin attended the funeral of the leader of a far-right political party, his security staff carried a similar trunk. The Times and The Sun reported on the “black bag” under the following headlines.

Vladimir Putin Attends Funeral of Far-Right Politician, Photographed with ‘Nuclear Button’.

Mr. Putin attended the funeral with a staff member carrying a nuclear button.

What’s on the Nuclear Button?

The “nuclear button” dancing in the headlines is the bag of destiny that determines the use of nuclear weapons.

In both the United States and Russia, the decision to launch a nuclear strike is the exclusive prerogative of the president. The “nuclear button” does not contain a switch that can actually launch a nuclear missile. It contains a series of key items that must be present in order to give the order to use a nuclear weapon. Specifically, they include security authorization codes, a dedicated telephone, and a table of attack options.

In December 1999, Vladimir Putin received the “nuclear button” from then-President Yeltsin. The “nuclear button” is always nearby so that it can be delivered to the president within a short period of time. In the U.S., the staff carrying the bag is subject to strict screening by the Pentagon and other agencies,” said a reporter from the international section of a national newspaper.

President Putin has frequently suggested the use of nuclear weapons immediately after the start of the invasion of Ukraine. The war has been a major struggle for the Russian military due to the fierce resistance of the Ukrainian army. The risk that nuclear weapons will actually be used to break out of the quagmire is increasing by the day.

The Russian military is not merely threatening to use nuclear weapons, but is signaling that it is ready to launch a nuclear attack.

Itsuro Nakamura, a professor at Tsukuba Gakuin University and an expert on the situation in Russia, said, “The Russian government has been trying to make a strong statement on the issue for some time now.

Mr. Putin envisions three patterns in the event he decides to use nuclear weapons. The first is when Russia is attacked, the second is when its allies are attacked, and the third is when Russia’s very existence is at stake.

The third pattern could also apply to default (default on foreign debt). Western countries decide to exclude major Russian banks from the international payments network SWIFT. Severe economic sanctions are reducing Russia’s national strength. If nothing is done, Russia’s very existence may be shaken. By displaying the nuclear button, the use of nuclear weapons by Vladimir Putin has become a reality.

President Putin wore a black tie for the two days he accompanied the “nuclear button” mentioned at the beginning of this article. According to Professor Nakamura, this was an expression of condolence for the Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine. The grief over the loss of comrades may be gradually developing into hatred of Ukraine within President Putin.