What is that supposed to mean?
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu is calling the defense ministers of several NATO countries to express his "concern" over alleged plans by Ukraine to detonate a radioactive bomb to damage Russia's image in the world.
One can rule out that he believes that one of the people called takes his "warning" seriously.
What Schojgu is doing there is intended for the public.
But for which ones?
One addressee is certainly Russian society, which is currently being attuned to the fact that more and more parts of their lives are being determined by warfare.
But Shoigu's words are probably also aimed at those countries that have so far been neutral towards Russia's criminal war.
For while the Russian regime's reputation in Europe can no longer be saved, whether or not it uses weapons of mass destruction can still make a difference to its reputation in Asia, Latin America and Africa.
However, Shoigu's words do not have a clear message - and that makes this type of communication dangerous.
As an attempt to pre-emptively blame such an escalation on Ukraine, they can be an indirect threat.
Or they say the exact opposite in a twisted way: Russia won't do it.