It can be used as a bargaining option by Russia but the trap there is that if Russia uses tactical nukes in some area then from Ukraine airspace Usa can launch cruise missiles from Poland, Mediterranean or from anywhere else and hit all Russian targets in the Smo zone. That will cause massive loss in Russian equipment and personnel. They have threatened to make a large scale conventional attack to Russian military assets in Smo zone if Russia uses nukes in beginning stages of the conflict. I dont know if Russia prepared for protection from a large scale usa cruise missile attack in the Smo zone where a large portion of their army is placed now.
Usa cruise missile attack after Russian tactical nukes will start a war between nato-Russia but if zelensky says that they did the attack themselves not anyone else did the large scale cruise missile attack they will ofcourse be thrown under the bus and get nuked(high yield not tactical) by Russia fully possibly but other countries involved in the cruise missile attack will be out of direct conflict with Russia. In that case Russian military will be damaged and weakened by this sudden attack with the expense that Ukraine will be totally destroyed by nukes. In that case trump can make a deal with a weakened Russia to save them from that position and in return Russia would stay silent in future Usa operations in the mideast.
That wont happen if Russia prepared fortified positions in Smo zone and brought enough anti cruise missile sam systems to protect from a large scale Usa attack in Smo zone. Also early warning systems against cruise missiles need to be placed like awacs(costly and Ukraine did shoot some of them down) or helicopter installed early warning radars. In that case even if large scale cruise missile attack happens the Russian military assets would be somewhat secure. Ofcourse after usage of tactical nukes there would be negative economic issues for Russia and it would result in tactical nuclear usage in other areas like maybe israel can resort to tacticals after that. So this is an unwanted situation. Defensive deescalation moves by allies like Iran and China to support Russia as well as to restrain Russian response to Ukraine would be a better option.
