I get a little hate for saying so, but I really think Russia’s nuclear saber rattling is always so intense because they’ve never nuked anyone. Nobody believes them.
We nuked Nagasaki for no strategic or tactical reason. It was essentially a “twice for flinching” situation. Not to mention the last president wanted to nuke some bad weather. What a prick.
We Americans have a shitload of problems, but we don’t need to threaten nuking anyone. You know we want to. So the Russians have to work hard to catch up in terms of the Madman Theory.