Putin Endorses Revised Nuclear Doctrine as Tensions with the West Escalate

Russia has broadened its nuclear doctrine to encompass conventional attacks backed by nuclear powers, increasing global tensions. 

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved important revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, indicating a possible intensification of its defensive stance. The updated policy permits the use of nuclear weapons in the event that Russia faces a conventional missile attack backed by a nuclear power. 

The alteration arises as a direct reaction to reports indicating that the administration of US President Joe Biden might allow Ukraine to utilize American long-range missiles for attacks deep within Russian territory. 

The updated doctrine recognizes that attacks involving conventional missiles, drones, or aircraft may serve as potential catalysts for a nuclear response. Furthermore, it indicates that any act of aggression towards Russia by a coalition member would be seen as an assault on the entire coalition, thereby expanding the grounds on which Moscow might rationalize the use of nuclear weapons. 

With only weeks remaining before the US presidential elections, Putin’s directive clearly connects the doctrine to scenarios in which conventional assaults on Russia receive support from nuclear powers. 

The war in Ukraine, now entering its third year, has notably strained relations between Russia and Western nations. Numerous analysts draw parallels between the ongoing confrontation and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which marked the nearest the world has approached nuclear conflict during the Cold War.