The president of Russia, Vladimir Putinhas approved a new nuclear doctrine that allows the use of atomic weapons in response to conventional attacks that endanger Russian, as well as Belarusian, sovereignty. This regulation establishes that a conventional offensive considered a critical threat to the territorial integrity of these countries, which form the Russia-Belarus State Unioncould trigger a nuclear response.
The document also expands the criteria for an atomic retaliation by considering a “joint attack” the aggression of a non-nuclear country that receives support from a power with atomic capacity. Published on the official information portal of the Russian State, the new doctrine reinforces Moscow’s position towards military alliances, such as the NATOnoting that any offensive action against Russia or its allies by a member of a coalition will be interpreted as an attack by the coalition as a whole.
Analysts interpret these provisions as a direct warning to USA and the NATO facing a possible more active intervention in the conflict in Ukraine. The doctrine includes additional scenarios for the use of nuclear weapons, such as a “massive offensive” with aircraft, hypersonic missiles, drones and other unmanned devices that violate Russian airspace.
For the first time, the text specifically mentions drones, a warfare resource that has gained prominence in recent years. However, he also emphasizes that Russia perceives nuclear weapons as tools of defensive deterrence, reserved for extreme situations and last resort.
These changes had been previously announced by Putin in September, but their enactment coincides with 1,000 days of war in Ukraine. In addition, the announcement comes after reports that the United States had authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles against targets in Russian territory.
In the context of the war, Russia has already deployed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a decision that Putin justified as a response to the actions of the West. According to the Russian leader, this measure reinforces his warning that any NATO support for Ukraine could be interpreted as direct involvement in the conflict, equivalent to “being at war with Russia.”
The new doctrine reinforces Moscow’s strategic posture at a critical moment in the conflict and sends a message to Western powers about the possible consequences of intensify its military support for Ukraine. The doctrine emphasizes, however, that the use of nuclear weapons continues to be, according to Russia, a defensive and extreme measure.
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