MOSCOW — The Kremlin announced on Thursday that recent changes to Russia’s nuclear weapons policy, as outlined by President Vladimir Putin, should be viewed as a direct warning to Western countries. The modifications signal potential consequences for any involvement in attacks on Russia, even if those attacks are carried out using conventional missiles.
President Putin revealed on Wednesday that Russia may use nuclear weapons if struck by conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it, supported by a nuclear power, as a joint attack. This adjustment to Russia’s nuclear doctrine appears to be a response to discussions in the US and UK regarding whether to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles on Russian territory.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the changes are meant as a clear signal to the West. He stated, “This is a signal that warns these countries about the consequences if they participate in an attack on our country by various means, and not necessarily nuclear ones.”
Peskov noted the world is witnessing an “unprecedented confrontation,” which he attributes to the direct involvement of Western nuclear powers in the Ukraine conflict. While Russia’s current nuclear doctrine permits the use of nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear strike or a conventional attack threatening the state’s existence, any potential updates to the doctrine are still under review, with a decision on publication yet to be made.
The possibility of ending a post-Soviet moratorium on nuclear tests was not confirmed, as Wednesday’s meeting where these changes were discussed was classified.