The decision by the US to allow Ukraine to launch western long-range missiles into Russia has provoked a furious reaction from Moscow, and pushed tensions with Ukraine’s western backers even higher. In response, the Kremlin has updated its military doctrine to lower the threshold for using nuclear weapons, provoking fears of a new Cold War, or even a nuclear confrontation. How worried should we be?

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Guests: 

• Edward Lucas, Times columnist and Senior Vice-President at the Centre for European Policy Analysis
• Lt Gen Ben Hodges (US Army, Ret’d), Former Commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Chris Wade.

Clips: Times Radio; BTTV; US DoD/RAND; PBS.

Photo: Getty Images.

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