Changes to Russia's nuclear policy a 'warning' to Ukraine's allies not to support Kyiv's attacks, Kremlin says
by Kit Heren · LBCBy Kit Heren
Changes to Russia's nuclear policy are meant to serve as a "signal" to Ukraine's allies in the West not to support attacks, Kremlin has said.
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Vladimir Putin recently announced a change in Russia's nuclear doctrine, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that these were a "warning signal to those countries about the consequences in case of their involvement in an attack on our country with various assets, not necessarily nuclear ones".
It comes after Russian president Putin said on Wednesday that Russia might use nuclear weapons in response to an attack on its territory that posed a "critical threat to our sovereignty".
Putin said that an attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.
This is likely to be interpreted as an attempt at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range weapons.
Read more: Putin proposes new rules for when Russia could use nuclear weapons
Russia is making slow but steady gains in Ukraine as the conflict grinds through its third year, and the Kremlin is seeking to discourage stronger Western support for Kyiv.
Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian territory with missiles and drones in response to Moscow's attacks, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing the US and other Western allies for permission to use the longer-range Western weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory.
The Biden administration has said it has not given Kyiv permission for strikes with American weapons deep inside Russia.
Mr Putin noted that the revised doctrine spells out conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail, noting that they could be used in case of a massive air attack.
The new phrasing holds the door open to a potential nuclear response to any aerial attack - a deliberate ambiguity intended to make the West more reluctant to allow longer-range strikes.
Since Mr Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, he and other Kremlin voices have frequently threatened the West with Russia's nuclear arsenal to discourage it from ramping up support for Kyiv.
Earlier this month, Mr Putin warned the US and other Nato allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would put Russia and Nato in a direct conflict.