Western Missiles Can Prompt Nuclear Response – Putin Approves New Nuclear Doctrine

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, Nov. 19, broadening the circumstances under which nuclear weapons may be deployed.

The decree, published on an official government portal, outlines significant changes to Russia’s nuclear policy, where Russia may now use nuclear weapons following “receiving reliable information about the mass launch of means of aerospace attack” or if the country is attacked with conventional weapons, such as cruise missiles or drones.

Attacks on Moscow’s ally Belarus are also considered a trigger for potential nuclear action.

Additionally, aggression by a non-nuclear state, if supported by a nuclear power, will now be considered a joint attack warranting Moscow’s nuclear deterrence under the updated doctrine. Any act of aggression by one member of a military coalition will also be treated as aggression by the coalition as a whole.

The Kremlin defended the policy changes as a necessary response to perceived Western threats.

“It was necessary to bring our principles in line with the current situation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday, Nov. 19, shortly after Putin signed the decree.

Peskov also emphasized that the use of Western non-nuclear missiles by Ukraine on Russian territory could now provoke a nuclear response.

“The use of Western non-nuclear missiles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the Russian Federation under the new doctrine may entail a nuclear response,” Peskov said.

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Putin proposed the revisions initially in September during a Security Council meeting. Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Security Council staff worked on the changes.

Putin has consistently reiterated Russia’s readiness to use nuclear weapons if deemed necessary, fueling concerns about the potential escalation of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.