Okay, but the us already has used nukes (including once after the japanese had already surrendered), so what exactly do you think the russians’re waiting for? Ie, not why do you think they want to use them at all, or why you think they might eventually do so. Note, that they went to Ukraine very much in spite of the reactions of other nations, so it’s not terribly clear why you expect that to be something that matters to them at all.

Imo, it’s not out of their nature to lie about their own motives as much as the us does, also not in their nature to orbit american standards the way you imply. But it is telling that you think somebody else using nukes against somebody else justifies them in doing so.