This is wrong. They don’t “have” to do anything.
FEELING you have to do something doesn’t mean you HAVE to do something.
I believe many of them WANT to do this. And are going through the rationalizations to justify it.
“I believe many of them WANT to do this. And are going through the rationalizations to justify it.”
Of course. The events of the last year and a half have fully punctured the myth that Russia has a military that is competitive with the USA and NATO. The last scrap they have left of that dream is their nuclear arsenal, so some are sorely tempted to lean on that to restore their dignity.