Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree allowing Moscow to use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state subject to nuclear powers’ support.
Russia’s decision coincides with the 1000th day of its Ukrainian offensive and follows the US approval of Kyiv to use long-range missiles, specifically ATACMS, to strike military targets within Russian territory.
The revised nuclear doctrine now permits the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states if those states receive military support from nuclear-armed nations, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“Aggression by a non-nuclear state with the participation of a nuclear state is considered as a joint attack,” Peskov told reporters, in a clear reference to Ukraine and its Western allies.
“It was necessary to bring our principles in line with the current situation,” Peskov added, calling the update a “very important” document that should be “studied” abroad.
“Russia has always viewed nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence,” he said, adding that they would only be deployed if Russia felt “forced” to respond.
The doctrine permits Moscow to launch a nuclear response to a massive conventional air attack, even if it only uses conventional weapons.
It also expands Moscow’s nuclear umbrella to cover Belarus, signaling a heightened commitment to defending its allies.
Persecondnews recalls that Putin has repeatedly threatened nuclear action throughout the nearly three-year-old conflict in Ukraine, prompting Western concerns over his escalating rhetoric.
When the Kremlin first announced the proposed changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine in September, Peskov framed it as a “warning” to deter any potential aggressors, including those considering non-nuclear attacks on Russia.
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