GREENSBORO, N.C. —
How real is Putin's nuclear threat?
In all of the talk about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is one word that keeps coming up over and over again: nuclear.
Over the weekend, Russia's leader Vladimir Putin said he was putting his nuclear forces on alert. Most security experts think it's just an empty threat to get Ukraine's allies to back down, but it still raises some uncomfortable questions. Here's how CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin puts it:
"I don't want to scare people with the thought that Russia is somehow getting prepared to launch nuclear missiles at the United States. I don't think that is likely, but the problem is if just one low yield nuclear weapon goes off, even if he just does a demonstration shot out in Siberia. There's just no experience for what happens next. So it is a dangerous moment, not just for Ukraine, but for the world."
The Arm's Control Association says Russia has the largest inventory of nuclear weapons with about 62-hundred of them. Almost all the experts agree, it doesn't make sense for Russia to use nukes strategically. But leading diplomats say Putin can be unpredictable at times.
"Nothing is off the table with this guy," said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the UN. "He's willing to use whatever tools he can to intimidate Ukrainians and the world."
President Biden flat out said Americans should not be worried about nuclear war. And the White House press staff stress that in the past Putin has worked with the U-S to reduce nuclear weapons across the world because, "everybody knows that this is not a war that can be won."
What is SWIFT? And will it deter Russia?
One of the biggest ways we have punished Russia for the invasion is by kicking them out the SWIFT banking system. There's been a lot of confusion online about exactly that means, so we asked the experts. When you buy something from another country your bank would use the SWIFT messaging system to send money to seller's bank. By taking away this messaging system, it's supposed to keep money from flowing into Russia.
Ordinary Russian citizens will not be able to buy products like iPhones from the US, cheese from France or luxury goods from Italy. And those who invest saw the Russian stock market drop a third of its value over the past week. Critically, Russia's expulsion from SWIFT will also mean that Russians are cut off financially from their families who live abroad.
"For all intensive purposes Russia's economy is isolated. It's going to have a devastating impact," said Colonel Alexander Vindman.
We've already seen long lines in Russia as people rush to get their money out of the banks. The move has also sent Russia's currency into a deep dive. Before the announcement, it took 83 Rubles to make $1. As of 4:30 p.m. Monday it took 107 Rubles to make make $1. That means Russians have substantially less buying power now.
RELATED: Yes, Russia’s currency, the ruble, hit its weakest level in history against the U.S. dollar
Why did Russia pick now to invade?
What's the best way for me to help Ukraine?
The online security group ESET Research has already being flagging fake charities pretending to help Ukraine:
So we know scammers are out there. One place that's real to give is right on Ukraine's twitter.
The country's official account actually posted: "stand with the people Ukraine. now accepting cryptocurrency donations." And then it includes where to send the money. This is their verified account. And a former US State Department worker says he's confirmed the routing numbers are correct and Ukraine is in control of the accounts. But maybe you're not into cryptocurrency or this makes you uncomfortable, the Better Business Bureau reviews charities making sure they meet 20 standards. Some charities they've accredited include 'Direct Relief,' 'Global Giving,' 'Operation USA,' and 'Save the Children.' You can find more information about where to donate on give.org.
There's one other really important website you should use: CharityNavigator.org. You can search for charities related to Ukraine, and the website rates them for how confident you should be giving over your money. Skip the ones who are not rated and pick a charity that has at least an 80 or above.
Also you can click on that the charity rating, and the website will show you why the charity scored the way it did and how much of the money you give actually goes to the programs vs paying staff at the charity.
