Speaking at a meeting of Russia's Security Council that considered changes in Moscow's nuclear doctrine, President Putin announced that a revised version of the document states that an attack against his country by a nonnuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” will be seen as their “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday lowered the threshold of nuclear weapon use and said in a new warning to the West that any nation's conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.
Speaking at a meeting of Russia's Security Council that considered changes in Moscow's nuclear doctrine, President Putin announced that a revised version of the document states that an attack against his country by a nonnuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” will be seen as their “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”
The significantly lowered threshold for nuclear use by revising the nuclear doctrine is a clear warning to the West against allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range weapons.
According to information on icanw.org, Russia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal with 5,580 such weapons which can be launded from land, submarines and planes as well.
While the revised nuclear doctrine said any attack by a non-nuclear nation with the support of a nuclear power will be seen as a "joint attack" on the Russian Federation, he didn't specify whether the modified document paves the way for nuclear response to such an attack. He, however, emphasized that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack posing a “critical threat to our sovereignty,” a rule that leaves broad scope for interpretation.
The change in the doctrine comes after Putin's warning to the US and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization - is a military and political alliance between 30 European and two North American countries. NATO's primary goal is to protect the security and freedom of its member states through political and military means.
NATO is seen as the main reason behind the Russia-Ukraine war that began after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. NATO came into existence in 1949 and Ukraine has been wanting to to be part of it, which Russia is against of.
Russia fears if Ukraine joins NATO, forces of the organisation's member countries will be at its borders.
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Three years into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia is making slow gains in Ukraine and is seeking to discourage stronger Western support the country.
Russia's current doctrine on nuclear use, cited in a news agency Associated Press report, says Moscow could use its nuclear arsenal “in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy.”
Putin asserted that the revised doctrine spells out conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack.
“Conditions for Russia's move to use nuclear weapons are clearly stated” in the revisions, the report quoted him as saying.
Putin said Russia "will consider such a possibility" when it receive reliable information about a massive launch of air and space attack assets and them crossing the state border. H e added, citing "strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other flying vehicles."
Many in Russia have sought a tougher doctrine for months, calling the current version too vague and weak. They argue it creates an impression that Moscow won't ever resort to nuclear weapons, allowing West to keep increasing aid to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will seek permission from his allies in the US and Europe to use the longer-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory, another red line for some of Ukraine's supporters. The Biden administration has said it hasn't given Kyiv permission for strikes with US weapons deep inside Russia, the AP report says.