Ukraine invasion: Would Putin press the nuclear button?

Would Putin press the nuclear button

Russia's leader has just put his country's nuclear forces on "special" alert, complaining of "aggressive statements" over Ukraine by Nato leaders.

Qazet.az reports that last Thursday when he announced on TV his "special military operation",  he delivered a chilling warning:

"To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside - if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history." - Vladimir Putin.

 In 2022 Putin has launched a full-scale war against Ukraine, but the Ukrainian armed forces are putting up stiff resistance; Western nations have - to the Kremlin's surprise - united to impose potentially crippling economic and financial sanctions against Moscow. The very existence of the Putin system may have been put in doubt.

Moscow-based defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer says ; 

“Putin's in a tight spot.", “He doesn't have many options left, once the West freezes the assets of the Russian Central bank and Russia's financial system actually implodes. That will make the system unworkable.”.

But question is : “If Vladimir Putin did choose a nuclear option, would anyone in his close circle try to dissuade him? Or stop him?”

The war in Ukraine is Vladimir Putin's war. If the Kremlin leader achieves his military aims, Ukraine's future as a sovereign nation will be in doubt. If he is perceived to be failing and suffers heavy casualties, the fear is that could prompt the Kremlin to adopt more desperate measures.