Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised amendments to the country's nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, broadening the circumstances in which nuclear weapons could be used, including strikes by non-nuclear states backed by nuclear powers.
The revisions come after reports that US President Joe Biden has authorised Ukraine to employ long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, a move that the Kremlin has warned might result in "a significant new round of escalation."
According to the updated policy, nuclear strikes can be justified by "aggression against the Russian Federation &hellip; by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state."
It also identifies threats such as &ldquo;the deployment by a potential adversary of missile defense systems, medium- and short-range ballistic missiles, precision non-nuclear and hypersonic weapons, strike drones and directed energy weapons&rdquo; as grounds for potential nuclear retaliation.
The declaration emphasises that Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons in reaction to any weapons of mass destruction deployed against it or its allies, or in the case of an attack using conventional weapons that endanger the sovereignty or territorial Putin originally recommended the changes in late September, as Ukrainian officials sought approval from Kyiv's Western allies to employ long-range missiles against targets within Russia.
A change in policy in that direction, the Kremlin leader said at the time, "would in a significant way alter the very nature of the conflict" and "mean that NATO countries, the U.S., and European countries are at war with Russia."
The suggested revisions to Russia's nuclear doctrine should be seen as a warning to any nations that attack Russia "by various means, not necessarily nuclear," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later told reporters.
Peskov responded that the adjustments were "published in a timely manner" when asked on Tuesday if the timing of the nuclear doctrine changes was connected to rumours that the Biden Administration had given Kyiv permission to launch long-range strikes within Russia.
When questioned on Tuesday whether the timing of the amendments to the nuclear policy was related to allegations that the Biden Administration had granted Kyiv authorisation to execute long-range strikes within Russia, Peskov replied that the changes were "published in a timely manner."
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Russian President Vladimir Putin in meeting with top brass officers

A change in policy “would in a significant way alter the very nature of the conflict" and "mean that NATO countries, the US, and European countries are at war with Russia"

How Serious a Threat is Russia's Nuclear Doctrine?

A change in policy “would in a significant way alter the very nature of the conflict" and "mean that NATO countries, the US, and European countries ar ...

November 19, 2024 | 16:25 IST