Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin reserves the right to use nuclear weapons against any country that poses a risk to Russia or Belarus, as he addresses his country’s new nuclear doctrine.
Speaking to a television audience at its annual question-and-answer session, he was asked if the West had “gotten the message” of Russia’s resolve to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons in November.
Putin responded: “I don’t know what message they received, you should ask them.”
He went on to list a number of “key points” in the updated document.
“When we are talking about certain military dangers that can develop into new threats, we are talking about increasing the responsibility of non-nuclear states that can participate in aggression against Russia, alongside nuclear-capable countries,” he said.
“And if such countries pose a threat to us, we reserve the right to use our nuclear weapons against them.
“We have announced that if the same threats are made against our ally, Belarus, we will do everything to ensure the security of Belarus. And I think this is a very important component of the updated nuclear doctrine.”
Russia’s new nuclear doctrine of lowering the threshold for using the world’s largest atomic weapons arsenal caused concern among the international community.
The updated document was signed 1,000 days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began and came after President Joe Biden’s administration removed restrictions on Kyiv’s ATACMS (military tactical missile system) to attack Russia’s internal territory.
Russia’s position change at least 4 primary changes.
Firstly, aggression against Belarus has been added to the doctrine, while in the past only threats to Russia were mentioned. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is Putin’s closest best friend in Europe and has allowed his country to host Russian nuclear warheads.
Second, Russia had in the past warned of a nuclear reaction if “the way of life of the state was threatened. ” The revised rules now refer to “a critical threat” to the “sovereignty” as well as the “territorial integrity” of Russia. and Belarus.
Third, the new doctrine has expanded the list of what Russia considers military risks that may simply require a nuclear response. These include the possession of any type of weapon of mass destruction that could be used against RussiaArray military exercises near Russia’s borders, as well as attempts to attack environmentally dangerous facilities or isolate part of Russia’s territory.
Finally, the updated document no longer says that Russia considers nuclear weapons “only” as a deterrent, adding that Moscow can use nuclear weapons against “potential” enemies.
In September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on those made through Putin on Thursday. He warned the world that Moscow’s nuclear weapons were “fully ready to fight. “
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Lavrov said Russia has weapons “that will have serious implications for the culprits in the Ukrainian regime. ” But he added: “No one needs a nuclear war. “
Tensions between Russia and the West have been rising in months, with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov warning this week of a direct clash between Moscow and NATO over the next decade.
Belousov also said that in the war in Ukraine, Russian forces were complex on all fronts and aimed to absolutely control the Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk regions, which Putin had declared annexed through Russia, next year. Russia in 2022.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January raised questions about the long duration of the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s transition is based on a plan to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table and he has said kyiv and Moscow will have to reach a deal.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced opposition to the prospect of freezing the conflict, telling French newspaper Le Parisien that Trump “knows about my desire not to rush things at the expense of Ukraine.”
Yevgeny Kuklychev is Newsweek’s London editor for Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. In the past, he directed Misinformation Watch and Newsweek’s Newsweek Fact Check. Eugene focuses on the Russia-Ukraine war, European and American politics, disinformation, and fact-checking. he joined Newsweek in 2021 and has worked for the BBC, MTV, and Bonds in the past.
You can contact Yevgeny by emailing y. kuklychev@newsweek. com