That's a pretty dumb article, based on one big technical assumption, probably written to spread fear in Europe and weaken public resolve. A nuclear attack by Ru

That's a pretty dumb article, based on one big technical assumption, probably written to spread fear in Europe and weaken public resolve. A nuclear attack by Russia on Ukraine was repeatedly designated unacceptable by both Germany and the US. It also wouldn't really trigger article five according to most experts, but there are still lots of other options. That way it wouldn't fracture NATO, if anything it would push it together even more closely. Russia would certainly become a global pariah, with noone being able to do business with them anymore. On top of that, some alternative suggestions to a full-on article 5 response were recently thrown around, ranging from stepping up towards ultimate sanctions (anyone still doing trade with Russia will also get sanctioned) all the way to the US sinking the black sea fleet in a conventional strike or establishing a no fly zone over Ukraine. Putin is playing the long game because he too knows that he can't break NATO with nukes and he can't break Ukrainian lines with reservists. So fear (that gets spread via articles like this) is his only useful weapon right now.