Putin issues nuclear warning, as Russia’s assault on Ukraine hits second year

With nuclear card in his back pocket, Russian President Vladimir Putin believes Russia will out-suffer and outlast its adversary as Friday marks the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Rebekah Koffler is the president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting, a former DIA intelligence officer, and the author of  "Putin’s Playbook: Russia’s Secret Plan to Defeat America." Follow her on Twitter @Rebekah0132.

Putin, a KGB-trained operative who prides himself in being an expert in people relations and being able to "feel" his audience, capitalized on Biden’s threats by pushing his long-standing populist narrative that Russia is under assault by the West. "They want to make the [Russian] people suffer [with sanctions]" he warned during a speech that lasted almost two-hours. "We will react accordingly, because … we are talking about the existence of our country," He said. The more long-range systems are supplied to Ukraine by the West, the further we will push the threat from our borders," said Putin.