Historically, Russia¡¯s defeat in foreign wars, including the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, World War I and the 1979-89 invasion of Afghanistan, has unleashed internal turmoil, ultimately leading to regime change.

Russian President Vladimir Putin¡¯s unprovoked attack on Ukraine has stoked fears of a repeat, but this time with a nuclear threat far exceeding that posed by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The prospect is chilling. If the Ukraine debacle destroys Putin¡¯s domestic legitimacy, how should the United States (and the wider world) respond to the risk of ¡°loose nukes,¡± or a vengeful leader going down with his finger on the nuclear button?