Growing fear of nuclear war has prompted calls for an immediate settlement to end the war in Ukraine.
But abandoning support for Ukraine now could spur Russia and others to make more nuclear threats.
"Just giving in at this point would actually be dangerous," nuclear expert Pavel Podvig told Insider.
In discussions with Insider, Podvig said that Russia could decide to use nuclear weapons if its hold over Crimea were threatened.
Instead of capitulation, dressed up in a universal desire for peace, he argued, "You could in effect show – demonstrate in practice — that nuclear weapons are not a useful instrument of terror and compellence."