It would stop people joking “I bet their nukes probably aren’t working either”.
I don’t think that the military takes these jokes seriously. But for the general population of NATO countries, this kind of humor helps reduce the anxiety about WW3. A nuclear test would help restore the anxiety.
How would a nuclear test demonstrate that Putin is not bluffing?
It only demonstrates that he has nukes, which we already know.
It would stop people joking “I bet their nukes probably aren’t working either”.
I don’t think that the military takes these jokes seriously. But for the general population of NATO countries, this kind of humor helps reduce the anxiety about WW3. A nuclear test would help restore the anxiety.
Conducting a nuclear test indicates a much higher willingness to use nuclear than just keeping them in storage does.