warned it may pull out of the new start deal, and both countries still have huge arsenals. america has an estimated 5,428 weapons, russia an estimated 5,977. all of which is why we're looking to history and the present. it's not the first time this has happened. it's happened several times during the cold war. it never, of course, led to nuclear war. but i can't say how this is a positive development for the ukraine crisis. that is perhaps an understatement. and today, russia blamed various comments by the west for its nuclear escalation. the kremlin spokesperson said. now, it seems unlikely that one comment by liz truss is the reason putin feels the need to flex his military muscles. his troops are on day five of this war. kyiv hasn't fallen the west is united, and so he raises the stakes.