US fears Putin will dangle nuclear threat if Ukraine keeps up its fight

The Defense Department’s intelligence arm has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin will increasingly threaten to use nuclear bombs if his invasion of Ukraine drags on and exposes Moscow’s military weaknesses. The Defense Intelligence Agency’s latest threat assessment report, released this week, indicates that the Kremlin is fast losing traditional military supplies as its forces become bogged down — and will struggle to replace them because of crushing sanctions levied by the West.“Despite greater than anticipated resistance from Ukraine and relatively high losses in the initial phases of the conflict, Moscow appears determined to press forward by using more lethal capabilities until the Ukrainian government is willing to come to terms favorable to Moscow,” warned Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, the DIA’s director, in the 67-page report.“As this war and its consequences slowly weaken Russian conventional strength … Russia likely will increasingly rely on its nuclear