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I understand the logic of "using a nuke is so bad that we need a huge red line and so using a single nuke must invite a complete nuclear response" since I had the same beliefs just a month or two ago.
But I was plainly ignorant of nuclear doctrine and simply had not thought or read that much about it.
Russia/Ukraine using a single nuke will not trigger a complete nuclear response against everyone. But there are lots more rungs on the ladder of escalation.
The response to a single nuke depends on how the single nuke is used. I could see either side simply detonating one in the middle of nowhere to show a willingness to escalate. Or hitting an enemy military base 24 hours after announcing that it will be hit. These are are all very serious steps but letting all the nukes fly is a long way off and all sides know it.
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