Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting on nuclear deterrence issues in Moscow, Russia September 25, 2024. | Photo credit: via Reuters
In a strong and fresh warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (September 25, 2024) that any conventional attack on nuclear-powered Russia would be considered a joint attack on his country.
The threat, outlined in Moscow’s revision of its nuclear doctrine, is clearly intended to push the West to not allow Ukraine to attack Russia with longer-range weapons and appears to significantly lower the threshold for the use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
Speaking at a meeting of the Russian Security Council that considered changes to the doctrine, Mr. Putin announced that a revised version of the document stated that an attack on his country by a nonnuclear power with “participation or support of nuclear power” would be. seen as a “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”
Mr. Putin did not specify whether the revised document described a nuclear response to the attack, but he emphasized that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack that poses a “critical threat to our sovereignty,” a vague formulation. wide room for interpretation.
Russia is making slow but steady gains in Ukraine as the conflict drags on for three years, and the Kremlin is seeking to reduce stronger Western support for Kyiv.
Warning to NATO
The change in doctrine follows Mr Putin’s warning to the US and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike Russian territory means Russia and NATO are at war.
Since Mr. Putin sent troops to Ukraine in 2022, he and other Kremlin voices have often threatened the West with Russia’s nuclear arsenal to prevent it from increasing its support for Kyiv.
The current doctrine says that Moscow can use its nuclear arsenal “in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against and / or allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation using conventional weapons when the country’s existence is in danger.”
Toughening the nuclear doctrine
Russian hawks have been calling out the doctrine for months, criticizing the current version as vague and weak. He said it had failed to stop the West from increasing aid to Ukraine and created the impression that Moscow would not use nuclear weapons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would seek permission from allies in the US and Europe to use longer-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory, another red line for some of Ukraine’s supporters. The Biden administration has said it did not give Kyiv permission for US weapons strikes inside Russia.
Mr. Putin stressed that the revised doctrine spelled out the conditions for using nuclear weapons in more detail, as they could be used in the event of a massive air strike.
“The conditions for Russia’s move to use nuclear weapons have been clearly stated” in the revision, he said.
“We will consider this possibility when we receive reliable information about the launch of air and space attack assets and they cross the borders of our country,” added Mr. Putin, referring to “strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other- other. flying vehicles.”
The broad formulation seems to significantly expand the trigger for the use of nuclear weapons, compared to the current version of the document, which states that Russia can tap its atomic arsenal if it receives “reliable information received about the launch of ballistic missiles aimed at the region. Russia or its allies.”
Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian territory with missiles and drones in response to Moscow’s attacks.
The new wording opens the door to a potential nuclear response to an aerial strike – an ambiguity intended to make the West more reluctant to allow a longer strike.
“Regardless of whether you think this is terrible or not, it will not be good when the major nuclear powers release the terms of nuclear use in their declaration policy,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at RAND, in a post on X.
Mr Putin also said the revised doctrine reflected that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to aggression against its ally Belarus, adding that he had agreed on the issue with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for more than 30 years, has relied on Russian subsidies and support. He allowed Russia to use his country’s territory to send troops into Ukraine and allowed the Kremlin to deploy some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Published – September 26, 2024 11:33 IST
