Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin reserves the right to use nuclear weapons against any country that poses a risk to Russia or Belarus, while addressing his country’s new nuclear doctrine.
While addressing a television audience at his annual question-and-answer session, he was asked whether the West had “got 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 then listed a series of “key points” from the updated document.
“When we talk about certain military risks that can become new threats, we are talking about expanding the responsibility of non-nuclear states that can participate in aggression against Russia, along with countries with nuclear weapons,” 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 possible to ensure the security of Belarus. And I think it’s a very vital component of the updated nuclear doctrine. “
Russia’s new nuclear doctrine of lowering the threshold for the world’s largest arsenal of atomic weapons has sparked concern abroad.
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 (tactical military missile system) to strike domestic territory. from Russia.
The shift in Russia’s stance included at least four major changes.
First, aggression against Belarus was 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.
Secondly, Russia had previously warned of a nuclear response if “the very existence of the state is threatened.” The revised guidelines now refer to “a critical threat” to “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 require a nuclear response. These include possession of any type of weapon of mass destruction that could be used against Russia, military exercises near Russian borders, and attempts to attack environmentally harmful facilities or isolate part of Russian 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 Sergey Lavrov made claims similar to those from Putin on Thursday. He warned the world that Moscow’s nuclear weapons were in “full combat readiness.”
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 escalating in recent months, with Russia’s defense minister Andrei Belousov warning this week of a direct conflict between Moscow and NATO within the next decade.
Belousov also said that in the war in Ukraine, Russian forces were complex on all fronts and aimed to absolutely overtake next year the regions of Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk, which Putin had declared annexed through Russia in 2022.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January has raised questions about the future of the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s transition team has been working on a plan to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, and has said that both Kyiv and Moscow will have to compromise.
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 Newsweek’s Misinformation Watch and Newsweek Fact Check. Eugene focuses on the war between Russia and Ukraine, European and American politics, disinformation, and fact-checking. He joined Newsweek in 2021 and has previously worked for the BBC, MTV and Bonds.
You can get in touch with Yevgeny by emailing [email protected]