Diplomat Valeriy Chaly, chairman of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center and former Ukrainian ambassador to the US (2015-2019), shared his opinions on Espreso TV in an interview with Studio West host Anton Borkovsky.“Russia essentially wants to act within the paradigm of the 19th-century Russian Empire, but it no longer has such power. So all these threats to the world’s leading country, both militarily and economically, are just rattling what little they have. They mean nuclear weapons, but their hands were already tied in 2022,” noted Valeriy Chaly.He said Russia intended to scare others by threatening to use a tactical nuclear warhead. They were told there would be a conventional but massive response. China also took the position that such actions are unacceptable."I think all these signals, statements against the U.S., strikes on Ukraine, escalation both in the air and on the ground, are a message to China that Russia and Putin are still strong enough to continue wearing down America. This message is not really for the Americans, but for the Chinese. Only China can influence its ally because they have established an alliance. Beijing holds leverage. However, this ally is already a vassal; China plays Russia as a tool. Putin has reduced Russia’s agency, and it will never again claim a major geopolitical role, but for now, this tool works against the U.S. So these are signals to Xi Jinping, who does not want to be in a losing position or appear weak like Putin, and Putin is preparing a negotiating position with Trump," the diplomat commented.On the night of July 31, Russian occupation forces attacked Ukraine with missiles and Shahed drones. As of August 1, the death toll from the Russian strike on Kyiv that night has reached 31, including children.