Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for an air shield to block Russia’s ability to pummel his nation with rockets, and experts say he'll likely get any help he needs.
"He's out there selling a product, which is his nation's survival. And he's doing just about as well as any human being could," Rice University Professor Joe Barnes tells 1200 WOAI news.
Ukraine is calling on leaders from the United States and other G7 nations to help find the financial backing to create a defense system. It's unclear what that means or whether it would resemble Israel's Iron Dome.
Barnes, who is with Rice's Baker Institute, says the recent attacks are proof that Russian President Vladimir Putin is backed into a corner. And that's a dangerous spot for someone with access to nuclear weapons.
"The use of tactical nuclear weapons remains a possibility if the battlefield continues to turn against Russia," he tells WOAI's Michael Board
And it has. In recent weeks, Russia has suffered reverses in Eastern and Southern Ukraine.
How big a possibility are the use of nuclear weapons? Barnes would only say that it's heightened. In an interview with CNN, President Joe Biden said he's doubtful.
"But I think that it’s irresponsible for him to talk about it," Biden told the network's Jake Tapper.
Early in the invasion of Ukraine, there was fear over the use of nuclear weapons. That died down, but reemerged last month. President Putin said in a televised speech that he would “certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people.”
In a statement released after this week's meeting, the G7 leaders promised that Russia would face "severe consequences" if it uses nuclear weapons.