Putin is running out of cards to play: Hoffman
Fox News contributor Dan Hoffman says Putin's risky move to put nuclear deterrent forces on alert is an attempt to dissuade NATO from sending aid to Ukraine.
Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman joined "Fox & Friends" Monday to discuss Putin's latest move to put nuclear deterrent forces on alert after seeing a lack of momentum in overthrowing Ukraine. Hoffman said Putin made the risky decision because he is "running out of cards to play" and is looking to discourage NATO from sending weapons and aid to Ukraine.
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DAN HOFFMAN: He's got four levels of readiness for his nuclear weapons. And right now, he's at the second level, which is ‘elevated.’ I think what he's trying to do is message the West. He's trying to extort us. He knows that right now, a significant provision of military assistance – that's stingers and javelins and other military equipment – is helping Ukraine stay in the fight. And timing is on President Zelenskyy's side and his brave Ukrainian citizens who have taken up arms in defense of democracy.
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Just a short while ago it seems, Ukraine was trying so hard to join NATO and there wasn't a lot of interest among NATO members in admitting Ukraine. And now it's as if NATO is out there joining Ukraine in the fight for what's what matters most – liberty and freedom – against this unprovoked Russian brutal aggression. So I think Vladimir Putin is running out of cards to play on this one. And that's what we're seeing, he's using the nuclear card and that's a risky one.
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