Putin proposes changing Russia’s nuclear doctrine to allow attacks on non-nuclear states

Russia’s conditions for launching nuclear weapons are about to change, President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday.

Speaking at a televised Security Council meeting, Putin outlined proposals to “clarify” Moscow’s nuclear doctrine, citing “new sources of military threats and risks for Russia and our allies.”

Update: The proposed changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine should be considered “a signal” to Western countries, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

“The updated version of the document proposes that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” Putin said. 

“The conditions for Russia’s transition to the use of nuclear weapons are also clearly fixed. We will consider this possibility upon receiving reliable information about a massive launch of aerospace attack weapons and their crossing of our state border,” he continued, specifying that this would include the detection of missile, aircraft, or drone attacks. 

In addition, Putin said Moscow would reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Russia or Belarus, “including if the enemy, using conventional weapons, poses a critical threat to our sovereignty.”