They have been discussing a general mobilization in Russia this week.
I understand that legally Putin can’t go a general mobilization unless he recasts this from a “Special Military Operation” to a “War”.
America may have been withholding long range missiles from Ukraine because attacks on the Russian homeland would give Putin the grounds to recast this to a “war”.
If Putin does a general mobilization anyway, it removes at least one of the objections to giving Ukraine long range weapons.
If Putin uses a tactical nuke. Then America has a choice. Don’t respond, and we encourage every rogue state to do likewise, China, NK, Iran.
I heard a retired general say that one of the options America has to the use of a tactical nuke is to quickly destroy Russia’s black sea fleet with F35’s. And there are some strategic military and naval basis that would likely be quickly destroyed.
There are already calls in the Kremlin and St. Petersburg for Putin to resign and even to charge Putin with Treason over the Ukraine war. I doubt Putin could survive the use of a nuke. And if he did the punishment from the US and NATO would be severe. Also India and China would strongly object to such an action.
India’s Mobi publicly rebuked Putin for the Ukraine war yesterday.