Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced changes to the country’s nuclear doctrine, warning that Russia could respond with nuclear weapons to a conventional attack that threatens its sovereignty. The revisions would lower the threshold for the use of atomic weapons and come amid tensions with Ukraine and its Western allies.
The changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine would now allow for a nuclear response to a conventional attack that poses a “critical threat to our sovereignty”. Putin, as the primary decision-maker on Russia’s nuclear arsenal, needs to give final approval to the text.
These changes come as Ukraine’s Western allies consider providing longer-range weapons to Kyiv and as Russia continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin has suspended Russian participation in the New START treaty with the US, which limits the number of nuclear warheads each side can deploy.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Western powers to dismiss Russia’s threats, calling them blackmail. Russia’s hawks have pushed for a tougher nuclear doctrine, claiming the current version is too vague. Putin emphasized that the revised doctrine outlines conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail, particularly in response to a massive air attack.
Additionally, Putin stated that the revised doctrine will now bring neighboring Belarus under Russia’s nuclear umbrella. Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko, has been cooperating with Russia in the conflict with Ukraine. Russia and the US together control 88% of the world’s nuclear warheads.
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