Putin’s war in Ukraine is not going to plan, but it’s as yet unclear how the Russian leader will react to these failures. Gideon talks to strategic expert Lawrence Freedman about what the Russian military can realistically achieve and, in particular, how worried Nato should be about Russia’s decision to put its nuclear weapons on standby.

Clips: BBC, CNN

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Air power counts for little in Ukraine war as caution prevails on both sides

West takes Putin’s nuclear weapons threat seriously

Tracking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in maps

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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