[throwawayffffas]

There is no such thing as financial nukes. During the cold war there was practically an embargo against the Soviet Union and no nuclear exchanges.

> For Russia, there isn't that much left to lose anymore.

Of course there is, their lives first and foremost, MAD still applies even thought we got used to it.

The only question is whether the nuclear powers of NATO would use their weapons to retaliate against a nuclear attack on their allies. My position is not that they would, my position is that it's not in Russia's interest to test them and that they also know this.