Russian President Vladimir Putin attended an expanded meeting of the Prosecutor General’s Office in Moscow on March 26, 2024.
Contributors | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a proposal to amend Moscow’s rulebook on the use of nuclear weapons, another thinly veiled warning to Western countries that continue to support Kiev in the war in Ukraine.
In opening remarks ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with senior officials on Russia’s nuclear deterrence, Released by the Kremlin Putin said a “series of clarifications … defining the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons” were being made on the document defining Russia’s nuclear doctrine.
He added that draft amendments to the doctrine expand “the categories of states and military alliances that implement nuclear deterrence” and include a supplementary “list of military threats” that Russia sees as justification for deploying nuclear weapons.
In a sharp warning to Western countries that continue to support Ukraine, Putin declared that any attack on Russia by non-nuclear countries backed by nuclear-armed countries would be considered a “coordinated attack.”
“I particularly want to draw your attention to the fact that in the updated version of the document, any aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state is proposed to be considered an act of aggression.” Against the Russian Federation A joint attack,” Putin said.
The latest comments about an impending change in Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which sets out the conditions under which nuclear weapons can be used, are widely seen as a warning to the West as some allies – notably the United States and Britain – consider whether to grant Ukraine donations for their use. Gave the green light to Kiev’s long-range weapons to strike military targets in Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech at the 79th United Nations General Assembly held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA on September 25, 2024.
Fresh Mike | Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently in the United States and has urged U.S. officials to continue supporting Kyiv as the November presidential election approaches. He will meet President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday and is expected to pressure the Washington leader over Kyiv’s demand to use long-range missiles, a strategy that Ukraine believes could change the dynamics of the war that begins in February 2022.
Zelensky said before the visit that the United States and Britain had not formally authorized Kiev to use such weapons in this manner, despite public comments to the contrary.
“We did not use long-range weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky told reporters on Friday in comments translated by NBC News.
Putin appeared to directly refer to the possibility of Ukraine launching long-range missiles into Russia in the future, saying Moscow would consider a nuclear response if it received “reliable information about a large-scale launch of strategic and tactical aircraft or the launch of cruise missiles towards Russia.” Man-machine flies towards its territory.
The situation is tense
Russia’s latest comments about changing its nuclear doctrine are not surprising – Moscow has signaled for months that it was changing its official position on the use of nuclear weapons.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in comments translated by NBC News that the amendments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine “must” be seen as a warning to “unfriendly countries.”
Asked how the unspecified countries should explain the changes, Peskov said it was “a signal to warn other parties not to participate in attacks against our country by all means, not only nuclear means.”
Comments from the Kremlin and senior Russian officials have become more frequent as Ukraine publicly pressures its allies to use Western long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia.
Ukraine’s continued incursions into Russia’s Kursk border area have also triggered more threats of force from President Putin and well-known Russian hawks, who claim that this cross-border attack is assisted and instigated by the West. Ukraine’s allies deny prior knowledge of the operation, which began in August.
In early September, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow was revising its nuclear doctrine because Russia saw an “escalation” in the war with Ukraine during Operation Kursk with Western support.
As far as the current situation is concerned, Russia’s current nuclear doctrine 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 itself and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation using conventional weapons,” the statement said. When existence is threatened,” according to Google Translate.
Spectators watch Russia’s Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system troops driving on the road after a military parade to mark the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on Victory Day in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024.
Yulia Morozova Reuters
其他可能決定俄羅斯使用核武的條件包括“收到有關發射彈道飛彈攻擊俄羅斯聯邦和（或）其盟友領土的可靠信息”，以及“敵人對至關重要的影響”國家或軍事設施”，根據同一份document.
Despite this, Russia described nuclear weapons as “a means of deterrence” in its 2020 policy and that the use of nuclear weapons would be “an extreme and necessary measure.”
Russia calls its nuclear doctrine “defensive” and says it “takes all necessary efforts to reduce nuclear threats and prevent the deterioration of inter-state relations that could lead to military conflict, including nuclear conflict.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko shake hands during a press conference after talks in Minsk, Belarus, May 24, 2024.
Mikhail Metzer | via Reuters
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly reiterated that Moscow will not hesitate to deploy such weapons if its territorial integrity and sovereignty are threatened.
In May this year, Russia held tactical nuclear weapons exercises near the Ukrainian border, and Moscow also deployed such weapons in its ally Belarus.
Tactical or non-strategic nuclear weapons are designed for battlefield use and are capable of destroying specific targets, such as military bases or training centers.
While they are less destructive than strategic nuclear weapons that can destroy entire cities, deploying such weapons would represent a serious escalation of war and raise concerns about direct confrontation with the West.
Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of an attack on Belarus because Belarus is part of an “alliance of states” with Russia, a special partnership between neighbors and allies. Putin said this included situations where the enemy’s use of conventional weapons “posed a serious threat to our sovereignty.”
About The Author
