This isn’t bravado — it’s calculated intimidation. Putin’s coy “military secret” comment is a deliberate piece of hybrid warfare: vague threats to keep Britain and its allies off-balance, to chill support for Ukraine, and to test how far Western democracies will bend. We should call that out for what it is and resist being bullied into retrenchment. That doesn’t mean escalation for the sake of it — it means doubling down on smart, principled measures: sustained military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, tougher enforcement of sanctions, stronger cyber and infrastructure defenses, and robust efforts to counter Kremlin disinformation. It also means insisting any talks over Ukraine’s future happen on Ukrainian terms and under international law, not as deals brokered by people with cozy ties to Putin. Finally, it’s worrying to hear Putin flattering envoys tied to the former US administration — a reminder he will try to exploit Western divisions. Democracies should show unity, protect civil liberties at home, and keep defending a rules-based order rather than letting threats normalize fear. We stand with Ukraine and with democratic values.