A pretext is needed since Russia needs to dupe people into feeling okay enough to press the button. They can't say: "We will do this as an unprovoked unilatera

A pretext is needed since Russia needs to dupe people into feeling okay enough to press the button. They can't say: "We will do this as an unprovoked unilateral act of aggression because we feel powerful enough to and the other side is weak and defenseless and we want their territory. Just do it." That doesn't get the soldiers to press the button. These nuclear buttons don't press themselves, you know. all this is in "how to be evil" 101 level courses, all dictators know this stuff.