The US and NATO has expressively stated that any use of nuclear weapons, including tactical small nukes will results in extremely serious consequences
People need to read up on the Cuban Missile Crisis to understand just how seriously close we were to nuclear Armageddon back in 1962, much closer to anything we are today. We were one officer decision away from total nuclear war where none of us would be here to talk about just a crisis. The US was prepared to go the full way if it had to and had an army ready for an invasion. Rational leadership on both side prevented nuclear Armageddon.
There is no de-escalation available here and there is one side which can no longer be considered as acting rationally. The US has already done everything it can to not escalate without giving Russia a carte blanche to invade everything it wants solely due to the threat of nukes, which would only make them bolder then they already are.
There is a red line that once crossed will never go back and the US and NATO making it extremely clear how the retaliation will happen. We are all only hoping that as mad as Putin is, that even he is not mad or insane enough to cross the red line.
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