Entitled “Fundamentals of state policy on nuclear deterrence”, Vladimir Putin on Tuesday approved changes to nuclear doctrine, chilling the rules by which the country will now use its nuclear arsenal.
The major change in doctrine now states that Russia would view an attack by a non-nuclear state supported by a nuclear state as a joint attack on it.
Although new changes were proposed in September, the document was only approved on Tuesday – which coincidentally was the 1,000th day of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The development follows a significant policy change by the Biden administration, allowing Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS missiles to attack targets inside Russia for the first time.
The decision comes just two months before President Joe Biden hands over power to Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about US military aid to Ukraine.
Now, even a major attack by missiles, drones or aircraft can be responded to with a nuclear response. The nuclear doctrine would also be extended to Russia’s close ally Belarus.
Furthermore, any attack by a coalition member state would be viewed as aggression on behalf of the entire group.
Although Putin has previously threatened to use nuclear weapons, Ukraine has dismissed it as a “nuclear attack” to discourage its allies from supporting it.
However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that “we are firmly in favor of doing everything to prevent a nuclear war”.
Russia has signed a declaration with other countries at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, which Lavrov said “clearly states that we want to move towards a world free of nuclear weapons.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that the theory should undergo “thorough analysis” and is a “very important text”.
Matthew Miller, on the other hand, said, “Unfortunately I am not surprised by the comments made by the Kremlin regarding the publication of this new, revised document,” and that since the beginning of the war, Russia tried to “coerce Is. “Intimidate Ukraine and other countries around the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior.”
Tatiana Stanovaya, a political scientist at the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center, said, “The current situation provides a significant temptation for Putin to overstep” and that Putin offers the West two options “‘Do you want a nuclear war?’ Pass it will,’ or ‘Let’s end this war on Russia’s terms,'” he posted on X.
