President Vladimir Putin has approved revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, broadening the conditions under which the country could consider deploying nuclear weapons. The updated policy allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to conventional missile strikes on Russian territory if supported by a nuclear-armed state.
This change follows reports of a U.S. decision permitting Ukraine to use American long-range missiles to strike targets deep within Russia.
The revised doctrine, according to Reuters, identifies scenarios involving conventional missiles, drones, or other aircraft as potential triggers for nuclear retaliation. Additionally, any attack by a coalition member state would be interpreted as an act of aggression by the entire coalition, warranting a possible nuclear response.
President Vladimir Putin previously stated in September that enabling Ukraine to use long-range missiles would amount to “the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine.”
The U.S. decision reportedly came in response to Russia’s deployment of North Korean ground troops to bolster its forces in Ukraine, a move that has alarmed both Washington and Kyiv.
The ongoing war in Ukraine, which marks 1000 days on Tuesday, has reignited tensions between Russia and the West to levels not seen since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The conflict continues to deepen divisions, with Moscow framing its actions as defensive against Western aggression and Kyiv labeling them as imperialist expansion.
