Moscow: The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that it has drafted changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine in response to the U.S. decision allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory using American missiles. These changes, according to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s press secretary, are already practically formulated and will be formalized as necessary.
The announcement came just a day after the U.S. decision, which the Kremlin condemned as “reckless.” The Russian government reiterated that Moscow would respond to the escalation, warning that the U.S. and NATO might be crossing a dangerous line by empowering Ukraine with long-range weapons.
Peskov’s remarks came via TASS state news agency on Tuesday, emphasizing Russia’s heightened concerns. The decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S. missiles has sparked intense reactions, with Moscow warning that the West’s involvement in Ukraine’s military efforts could have severe consequences.
In a statement echoing past warnings, President Vladimir Putin had previously cautioned that such Western approval would be viewed as direct NATO involvement in the conflict. In September, Putin warned that the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine, if sanctioned by the West, would implicate NATO countries due to their support and the need for NATO infrastructure to be involved in the missile operations.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine with the missiles came after months of pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, seeking more advanced weapons to strike Russian military targets deep inside Russian-held territory. The U.S. move also followed concerns over Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops, a development that has raised alarms in both Washington and Kyiv.
Russia, which refers to its invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation”, continues to assert control over a significant portion of Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, Ukraine and its Western allies view the conflict as an unprovoked aggression, aiming to reclaim occupied regions and preserve its sovereignty. The ongoing conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths, the majority of them Ukrainian civilians and soldiers.
In the wake of Biden’s decision, Russian analysts see Moscow’s revisions to its nuclear doctrine as a means of deterring further Western involvement. The full details of the amendments to Russia’s nuclear policy have not been fully disclosed, but the implications of such a policy shift are already stirring international concern.
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Just weeks before the U.S. presidential election, President Putin ordered changes to the nuclear doctrine, asserting that any conventional attack on Russia aided by a nuclear power could be considered a joint attack on Russia. This revision comes amid growing fears that the West’s support for Ukraine may escalate into a larger confrontation with Russia.
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The war in Ukraine has led to a sharp deterioration in relations between Russia and the West, marking the most significant geopolitical crisis since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Despite the rising tensions, Peskov added that Moscow remains open to normalizing relations with Washington, although he stressed that this would not be possible without reciprocal actions. “But we cannot tango alone,” he stated firmly.
