Western leaders and Kyiv pledge to “stay the course” in the Ukraine war despite Russian nuclear threats. But does western brinkmanship in the Ukraine war depend on denying there is a brink? This policy report examines “nuclear threat denialism” and its function in war policy. It explores Moscow’s most likely but occluded nuclear option and the unique danger it represents. And the report examines the relevance of the Cuban Missile Crisis to the current conflict.