Europe faced with a rogue nuclear state

Just two weeks ago, the main topic of conversation in Brussels was the weather. At the Rentrée receptions, which traditionally mark the end of the summer break, diplomats and top officials asked themselves whether Europe’s gas storage facilities would be sufficient during a harsh winter.

Meanwhile, another concern has come to the fore, one even more difficult to calculate than the whims of nature: that of the Russian president’s nuclear saber-rattling.

Vladimir Putin is weakened – and therefore perhaps more dangerous than ever. The cornered despot compensates for his increasingly hopeless situation with aggressive acts of desperation. For the first time in history, Europe faces a warring rogue state possessing nuclear weapons.

Putin kim-jong-unized Russia: The country with the most nuclear warheads in the world is acting like a big North Korea. Very different from the Soviet Union, which was primarily interested in maintaining the global balance of power.