The West should take Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear threat seriously, but it shouldn't panic, an international relations expert says.
Putin announced the mobilisation of 300,000 Russian citizens on Wednesday. He also said Russia was prepared to "use all the means at our disposal", raising concerns the Kremlin will resort to the use of nuclear weapons.
University of Otago professor Robert Patman has described this as "nuclear sabre rattling" and said it's not the first time Putin's done it - he did it on the first day of the invasion.
"He's stepped up the rhetoric," Patman told Breakfast, "but what he's trying to do, actually, is take advantage of liberal democracies and put pressure on western actors which are supporting Ukraine.
"In other words, he wants western countries to say 'oh, if we continue to support Ukraine, we'll run the risk of nuclear war'. That's what he's trying to do."
"So basically his message to the world is 'You either accept my territorial gains in Ukraine or you run the risk of nuclear war'," Patman said.
"Well of course that's a false choice and it's probably up to the Russians to decide whether they want a leader acting in their name take them into that sort of scenario."
In the wake of Putin's announcement, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has said expelling the Russian Ambassador to New Zealand is "an active consideration".
Patman said Russia had ripped up the UN Charter, so "it's very important New Zealand makes a stand on this and expelling the ambassador is part of that".
"This is a message not just for the Russian government, which won't take too much notice, but for the Russian people it's important that small and middle powers indicate their systematic disapproval of what Russia has done."
However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said expelling the ambassador is "one of the least meaningful" options available in the country's "strong response to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine".
"But having met just yesterday with the prime minister of Ukraine, I really am firming up the view that in their mind the most important thing we can be doing first and foremost is sanctions, and also supporting them as we have in the ongoing fight within Ukraine," Ardern said.
"The question has always been for us, 'what is the most meaningful thing we can do to bring an end to this war?' Ukraine has never asked us to expel the ambassador, and so surely for those who are at the front line, it is meaningful for us to respond to what they are pointing to.
"Keep in mind, of course, we've always said we want dialogue and diplomacy to end this war. You lessen your opportunities to do that when you don't have those representatives. Sanctions send the strongest message."
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