MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning to the West on Wednesday, indicating that Russia may resort to nuclear weapons if faced with conventional missile strikes. He stated that any attack on Russia, particularly if backed by a nuclear power, would be viewed as a joint assault on the nation.
This shift in Russia’s nuclear doctrine comes as discussions unfold in the United States and Britain regarding the potential for Ukraine to launch conventional Western missiles into Russia. During a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Putin emphasized the need to adapt to a rapidly evolving global landscape that presents new threats to Russia.
Putin underscored a significant alteration in policy: “Aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, supported by a nuclear state, will be considered a joint attack on the Russian Federation,” he said. He elaborated that Russia might resort to nuclear action if it detects a substantial missile or drone launch aimed at its territory.
He also noted that Russia retains the right to deploy nuclear weapons if it or its ally Belarus faces aggression, even from conventional weapons. These clarifications reflect an expansion of the scenarios under which Russia would contemplate a nuclear response, incorporating Belarus into its nuclear strategy and recognizing the involvement of nuclear powers in conventional conflicts.
The United States has expressed concern over the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons, with CIA Director Bill Burns previously warning Putin about the severe consequences of such actions.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to heightened tensions between Russia and the West, reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which nearly brought about nuclear war during the Cold War. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has persistently urged allies to enable Ukraine to fire long-range Western missiles into Russia to mitigate the Kremlin’s offensive capabilities.
As the war enters what Russian officials describe as its most perilous phase, Zelensky has called on the West to ignore Russia’s “red lines,” a stance supported by some Western allies. However, Putin’s regime has warned that such actions could escalate into a global conflict.
In response to Putin’s comments, Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, remarked that “Russia no longer has any instruments to intimidate the world apart from nuclear blackmail,” asserting that these tactics would be ineffective.
Both Putin, who portrays the West as a decadent aggressor, and U.S. President Joe Biden, who views Russia as a corrupt autocracy, have cautioned that a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO could escalate into World War Three. This sentiment has also been echoed by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, highlighting the nuclear threat.
As the world’s largest nuclear power, Russia, alongside the U.S., controls approximately 88% of the globe’s nuclear warheads. During his address, Putin reiterated the importance of the nuclear triad as a fundamental guarantee of national security, maintaining that Russia would consider nuclear action if there were credible evidence of a large-scale aerial attack targeting its borders.
