MOSCOW (AP) 鈥� In a strong, , President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that any nation鈥檚 conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.
The threat, outlined in a revision of , was clearly aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with and appears to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of Russia鈥檚 nuclear arsenal.
Speaking at a meeting of Russia鈥檚 Security Council that considered changes in the doctrine, Putin announced that a revised version of the document states that an attack against his country by a nonnuclear power with the 鈥減articipation or support of a nuclear power鈥� will be seen as their 鈥渏oint attack on the Russian Federation.鈥�
Putin didn鈥檛 specify whether the modified document envisages a nuclear response to such an attack, but he emphasized that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack posing a 鈥渃ritical threat to our sovereignty,鈥� a vague formulation that leaves broad room for interpretation.
Russia is making slow but steady gains in Ukraine as the conflict grinds through its third year, and the Kremlin is seeking to discourage stronger Western support for Kyiv.
The change in the doctrine follows Putin鈥檚 warning to the U.S. and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.
Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, he and other Kremlin voices have frequently threatened the West with Russia's nuclear arsenal to discourage it from ramping up support for Kyiv.
The current doctrine says Moscow could use its nuclear arsenal 鈥渋n response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy.鈥�
Russia's hawks have been calling for toughening the doctrine for months, criticizing the current version as too vague and weak. They argue it has failed to deter the West from increasing aid to Ukraine and has created the impression that Moscow won鈥檛 ever resort to nuclear weapons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will seek permission from his allies in the U.S. and Europe to use the longer-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory, another red line for some of Ukraine鈥檚 supporters. The Biden administration has said it hasn鈥檛 given Kyiv permission for strikes with U.S. weapons deep inside Russia.
Putin emphasized that the revised doctrine spells out conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack.
鈥淐onditions for Russia's move to use nuclear weapons are clearly stated鈥� in the revisions, he said.
鈥淲e will consider such a possibility when we receive reliable information about a massive launch of air and space attack assets and them crossing our state border," Putin added, citing "strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other flying vehicles."
The broad formulation appears to significantly broaden the triggers for possible nuclear weapons use, compared with the current version of the document, which states Russia could tap its atomic arsenal if its receives 鈥渞eliable information is received about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting the territory of Russia or its allies.鈥�
Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian territory with missiles and drones in response to Moscow's attacks.
The new phrasing holds the door open to a potential nuclear response to any aerial attack -- a deliberate ambiguity intended to make the West more reluctant to allow longer-range strikes.
鈥淩egardless of whether you think this is a bluff or not, it鈥檚 never good when a major nuclear power loosens the conditions for nuclear use in its declaratory policy,鈥� said Samuel Charap, senior political scientist at RAND, in a post on X.
Putin also said the revised doctrine envisages that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to an aggression against its ally Belarus, adding that he has agreed on the issue with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for more than 30 years, has relied on Russia's subsidies and support. He has let Russia to use his country's territory to send troops into Ukraine and allowed the Kremlin to deploy some of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
The Associated Press
