Releasing a video illustrating an attack on US territory, what is President Putin implying?

In his State of the Nation Address on March 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had revealed its invincible nuclear arsenal, which could completely neutralize the defense capabilities of the US and NATO, including a video illustrating the image of a missile seemingly flying towards the US state of Florida.

Why Florida?

The video simulates the image of missile warheads being launched everywhere, however, the most interesting detail is that 9 missile warheads seem to be falling at the same time in the US state of Florida, especially Tampa Bay and the west coast of Florida. This makes the public question, why would the Kremlin want to target Florida and not somewhere else in the event of a nuclear war?

According to observers, the state of Florida is home to many tourist attractions such as Walt Disney World, Everglades National Park. In addition, there is also the luxurious Mar-a-Lago resort of US President Donald Trump's family - where he has spent many weekends since taking office.

There are several nuclear bomb shelters at the resort, including tunnels built during the Korean War. There is also another bomb shelter at President Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, and not far from Mar-a-Lago is a bunker built for the late President John F Kennedy.

Florida is not only a favorite destination for the top US leader, it also plays a strategic role in military affairs. Tampa is home to the US Central Command (also known as US Centcom) at MacDill Air Force Base, which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa.

Analysts say that in addition to Florida, there are many other potential US targets that Russia would attack in the event of a nuclear war. Expert Matthew Kroenig, author of the book The Logic of US Nuclear Strategy, said that Russia's priority would be to reduce the US's ability to respond. Russia could attack US nuclear mines at the Air Force Base in Montana or in North Dakota, the Pacific Fleet Commander is based at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. In addition, two US strategic submarine bases, one in Bangor, Washington and one in King's Bay, Georgia, could also become targets of attack.

US response

Commenting on the State of the Union address, which is considered a warning to the US, many US officials said that President Putin's statement about Russia's military strength was just "boasting", and affirmed that the US's military and defense capabilities are still number 1 and no country can match them.

On the US State Department's side, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Russia was "irresponsible" in claiming that the defense system that Mr. Putin claimed could penetrate any shield, including that of the US.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized: “Russian President Putin affirmed what the US government has long known, that Russia has been developing a destabilizing weapons system for more than a decade, in direct violation of its treaty commitments.”

“America’s defense capabilities have always been and will always be unmatched, and with a new $700 billion defense budget, our military is stronger than ever,” she said. “In his nuclear review, President Donald Trump made clear that the United States is moving forward to modernize our nuclear arsenal and ensure that our military is unmatched.”

The US Department of Defense also issued a statement affirming that the Department was not “surprised” by Mr. Putin’s statement that Russia could attack any location on US soil. “We are not surprised by these statements,” said Department of Defense spokeswoman Dana White. “Americans should be assured that the military is always prepared to defend the country.”

Part of President Putin's election strategy?

The announcement of Russia’s nuclear capabilities comes less than a month before the Russian presidential election, and analysts say it is part of President Vladimir Putin’s election campaign, which includes promises to increase pensions and social benefits, lift more people out of poverty and enact more democratic reforms.

“Putin is basically telling his own people that Russia is not vulnerable,” said Angela Stent, director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies at Georgetown University. “His message to the outside world is: Don’t mess with us, because Russia is a major nuclear power.”

Analyst Stent emphasized that President Putin's speech was originally designed to be delivered to lawmakers in the Russian lower house and upper house, scheduled for release in December 2017. However, this speech was adjusted to become a federal message to all Russians in the context of the upcoming election, in order to attract voters.

Mr. Putin still leaves the door open for dialogue instead of confrontation.

According to expert Angela Stent, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of an invincible nuclear arsenal is seen as a response to US President Donald Trump’s “robust” nuclear assessment last month. However, President Putin has always left the door open for dialogue instead of confrontation.

President Putin criticized Washington for unilaterally abandoning arms control treaties with Moscow in the past. He stressed that Russia would not need to develop new weapons if its legitimate concerns were addressed by the US and its allies.

According to President Putin, the US should abandon its “costly and ineffective” hostile policy towards Russia and negotiate a security agreement that takes into account the interests of both sides.

In his state of the nation address, President Putin said: “To those countries that have been trying for the past 15 years to intensify an arms race in order to achieve unilateral gains against Russia, by imposing illegal sanctions that do not comply with international law, with the aim of harming Russia’s development, including in the military sphere, I must say: all the measures that these countries are taking have failed and have not stopped Russia’s progress.” However, President Putin emphasized that Russia will have positive reactions if it is treated as a fair partner./.