Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a significant update to Moscow's nuclear doctrine during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council. The revised version of the doctrine now states that a nuclear power supporting another country’s attack on Russia will be considered a participant in aggression. This change signifies a shift in Russia's stance on nuclear weapons and their potential use in conflicts.
The updated doctrine specifically addresses scenarios where a nonnuclear power, with the backing of a nuclear power, launches an attack on Russia. In such cases, it will be viewed as a joint attack on the Russian Federation. While Putin did not explicitly mention the possibility of a nuclear response in these situations, the revised document sets a new precedent for how Russia may react to external threats.
This development comes in the wake of Putin's warning to the U.S. and NATO allies regarding the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine. Putin has cautioned that any support for Kyiv's military capabilities could escalate tensions between Russia and NATO, potentially leading to a state of war.
Since Russia's military intervention in Ukraine in 2022, Kremlin officials have frequently used the threat of nuclear weapons as a deterrent against Western interference. The current nuclear doctrine allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to attacks involving weapons of mass destruction or conventional weapons that pose a direct threat to Russia's sovereignty.
The revised doctrine provides more detailed guidelines on the conditions under which nuclear weapons may be employed. It specifies that nuclear weapons could be used in the event of a large-scale air assault utilizing aircraft, cruise missiles, or drones. This clarification aims to outline the circumstances in which Russia would consider nuclear deterrence as a viable option in modern conflicts.
