Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a significant shift in Russia’s nuclear doctrine on Wednesday (Sep 25), stating that any nuclear power supporting a non-nuclear country’s attack on Russia will be viewed as participating in the aggression.
During a meeting with Russia’s Security Council, Putin highlighted a revised version of the country’s nuclear strategy, stating that if a non-nuclear state, backed by a nuclear power, attacks Russia, it will be seen as a “joint attack on the Russian Federation.” The Russian president did not clarify whether Moscow would respond with nuclear weapons in such an event, leaving room for speculation.
“The conditions for Russia’s transition to the use of nuclear weapons are clearly outlined,” Putin said, adding that Russia would consider such a response if it detected the launch of missiles, aircraft, or drones aimed at Russian territory. He further emphasized that Russia maintains the right to use nuclear weapons if it or its ally Belarus is targeted, even by conventional arms.
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This marks a notable departure from Russia’s previous nuclear doctrine, which was issued by Putin in 2020. The earlier policy stated that Russia would only resort to nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack or a conventional attack that threatened the survival of the state. Some military hardliners in Russia had pushed for lowering the threshold for nuclear deployment, arguing that it would serve as a deterrent to Western adversaries.
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This shift comes at a critical moment as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travels to the United States to request long-range missile systems to strike deep into Russian territory. Zelensky is expected to present his ‘victory plan’ to U.S. leaders, proposing aggressive strikes inside Russia in an attempt to force Moscow to negotiate for peace.
