Russia's President Vladimir Putin convened with Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-appointed leader of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, at the Kremlin in Moscow on November 18, 2024. — AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Tuesday expanding the circumstances under which Moscow can employ nuclear weapons, sending a direct message to the West and Ukraine. This action coincides with the 1,000th day of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine and follows the United States' authorization for Kyiv to use long-range missiles to target military installations within Russia.
The updated doctrine stipulates that Russia will contemplate using nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state if it is backed by nuclear powers. "Aggression by a non-nuclear state with the involvement of a nuclear state is regarded as a joint attack," stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, clearly alluding to Ukraine and its Western supporters.
Peskov emphasized that it was essential to align Russia's principles with the current geopolitical climate, describing the update as a "very significant" document that should be carefully examined internationally. Russia has consistently viewed nuclear weapons as a deterrent, with their use contingent upon feeling compelled to respond.
Throughout the nearly three-year conflict with Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly issued nuclear threats, raising concerns in the West over what it perceives as irresponsible rhetoric. The revised doctrine also permits Moscow to initiate a nuclear response in the event of a "massive" aerial assault, even if conventional weapons are employed.
When the proposed changes were initially revealed in September, Peskov characterized them as a "warning" to any party contemplating an attack on Russia using various means, not necessarily nuclear. Additionally, Moscow's nuclear umbrella will now extend to its close ally Belarus under the new doctrine.
On the 1,000th day of the conflict, Peskov accused the "collective West" of instigating a "war" against Russia, vowing that Moscow would persist with its so-called "special military operation" until its conclusion.
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