Putin unveiled new rules on nuclear weapons in Russia’s latest threat

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced proposed changes to Moscow’s rule book on the use of nuclear weapons in another thinly-veiled warning to Western countries that continue to back Kyiv in the war in Ukraine.

In opening remarks before a meeting with senior officials on Russia’s nuclear deterrent on Wednesday, released by the Kremlin and translated by NBC News, Putin said that “some clarifications … were made to the document defining Russia’s nuclear doctrine.”

He added that the draft amendment to the doctrine expanded “the categories of states and military alliances related to nuclear deterrence” and included an additional “list of military threats” that Russia would see as justification for deploying nuclear weapons.

In a clear warning to Western countries that continue to support Ukraine, Putin announced that any attack on Russia by a non-nuclear state backed by nuclear weapons would be considered a “joint attack.”

“What I especially want to draw your attention to is that in the updated version of the document, aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear country, but with the participation or support of a nuclear country, is proposed to be considered as a nuclear country. joint attack on the Russian Federation,” he said Putin.

The latest comments about the upcoming changes in Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which defines the conditions under which nuclear weapons can be used, have been widely seen as a danger to the West as certain allies – specifically the US and the UK – consider whether to give Ukraine. green light to use long-range weapons they have contributed to Kyiv against military targets in Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is currently in the US, where he is pressuring officials to maintain support for Kyiv as presidential elections loom in November. He will meet incumbent President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday and is expected to press Washington leaders on Kyiv’s request to use long-range missiles, a strategy Ukraine believes could change the dial on the war that began in February 2022.

Before the visit, Zelenskyy said that the US and the UK had not officially authorized Kyiv to use the weapons in this way, despite public comments to the contrary.

“We have long-range weapons. But not in the number we need, let’s say. However, we have this package – (long-range missiles) Storm Shadow, ATACMS, SCALP. But neither America nor Britain has given permission to use these weapons in the region Russia, for any purpose at any distance.

Putin appeared to be directly referring to the possibility of Ukraine launching long-range missiles at Russia, saying that Moscow would consider a nuclear response if it received “reliable information about the mass takeoff” of strategic tactical aircraft into Russia, or the launch of cruise missiles. hypersonic weapons or drones into their territory.

Russia’s latest comments about changing its nuclear doctrine are not surprising – Moscow has said for months that it is making changes in its official stance on the use of nuclear weapons.

Public comments on the matter have become more frequent as Ukraine has openly pressed its allies over the use of Western long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia.

Ukraine’s ongoing incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region has also prompted more saber-rattling by President Putin and prominent Russia hawks, who claim the cross-border attacks are aided and abetted by the West. Ukraine’s allies denied any prior knowledge of the operation, which began in August.

Earlier in September, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was in the process of revising its nuclear doctrine because of what he saw as an “escalation” of the Western-backed war with Ukraine amid the Kursk operation.

As of now, Russia’s nuclear doctrine now states that Russia “reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear weapons and other types of weapons of mass destruction against and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation using conventional weapons, during the existence of the state is threatened,” according to Google’s translation.

Other conditions that can determine the use of nuclear weapons by Russia include “the receipt of reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles that attacked the territory of the Russian Federation and (or) its allies,” as well as “adversary impact on critical important state or military facilities,” according to the same document .

In its 2020 policy, Russia continues to describe nuclear weapons as “a means of deterrence,” the use of which would be an “extreme and necessary measure.”

Russia called its nuclear doctrine “defensive in nature” and said it “takes all necessary efforts to reduce the nuclear threat and prevent interstate relations that could lead to military conflict, including nuclear.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly conveyed the message that Moscow will not hesitate to deploy such weapons if its own territorial integrity and sovereignty are threatened.

In May, Russia conducted tactical nuclear weapons drills near the border with Ukraine, and Moscow has also deployed such weapons in its ally, Belarus.

Tactical or nonstrategic nuclear weapons are designed for battlefield use and can destroy specific targets, such as military bases or training centers.

While strategic nuclear weapons capable of destroying entire cities, the proliferation of such weapons would be a serious escalation in the war and raise concerns about a direct confrontation with the West.

On Wednesday, Putin said Moscow has the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of an attack on Belarus, as it is part of the “Union State” with Russia – a special partnership between neighbors and allies. This includes cases where the enemy, using conventional weapons, “poses a critical danger to our sovereignty,” Putin said.