Russia's Nuclear Showcase: A Bold Move or Just Bluster?

Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, recently honored the creators of two powerful nuclear weapons, the Burevestnik missile and the Poseidon underwater torpedo. This event happened in a big ceremony at the Kremlin. Putin said these weapons are very important for Russia and the whole world in the 21st century. He also mentioned that the Burevestnik missile can fly farther than any other missile known. Putin also talked about another missile, the Oreshnik, which can carry nuclear weapons. He said that Russia has started making many of these missiles. This missile was used in a fight in Ukraine last November. It was the first time this type of missile was used in battle. All this is happening while there is a lot of tension between Russia and the United States. The US president, Donald Trump, recently put sanctions on two big Russian oil companies. He also canceled a meeting with Putin. After these sanctions, Putin announced that Russia had successfully tested the Burevestnik missile. He said it flew a very long distance over many hours. Putin also said that another weapon, the Poseidon, was successfully tested. This weapon can travel more than 6, 000 miles. Both of these weapons were first shown in 2018. But now, Russia is using them to send a message to the West, especially the US. Experts say that Russia is using these weapons to scare the US. They think the US is the main target, not just countries near Russia. The US is planning to build a system to protect itself from missile attacks. Putin has said that the Burevestnik can avoid these defenses. Putin said that Russia is not threatening anyone. He said that Russia, like other countries with nuclear weapons, is just developing its own power. He also said that all this work was planned a long time ago.