Vladimir Putin only has one song and he sings it over and over again. There are no verses, only a badly constructed chorus. It is a song of threats, belligerence and crybaby victimhood. He sang it in 2022. He sings it again today. And it has no more truth now than it had back then.

On 24 February 2022, in a televised speech launching the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he first threatened a nuclear attack in the event of Western interference. “Russia will respond immediately,” he said, “and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.” He has continued to make this threat on a regular, near-monthly basis over the ensuing years, most recently in July.

Yesterday, he was up to the same old trick. First, he threatened to “cut Ukraine off from the sea” in response to drone attacks on Russian tankers. Then he threatened a Russian invasion of Europe. “We’re not going to war with Europe,” he said. “I’ve said that a hundred times. But if Europe suddenly wants to fight us and starts, we’re ready right now.”

It’s all nonsense. In reality, Putin cannot sever Ukraine’s connection to the sea, because it still controls major ports including Odesa. In reality, Putin already went to war with Europe when he invaded a European country. In reality, he is not “ready right now”. He uses baseless threats because they are one of his few remaining weapons.

Putin is at his strongest........

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