Russia Says Will Revise Nuclear Doctrine Due to Western ‘Escalation’

Russia is preparing to change its nuclear doctrine in response to the escalating tensions with the Western nations, amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov announced, adding that the revisions are at an advanced stage.

"The work is at an advanced stage, and there is a clear direction to make adjustments, which are also conditioned by the study and analysis of the experience of conflict development in recent years," Russian news agency TASS quoted Ryabkov as saying.

He added that these changes are directly tied to the Western actions in connection with Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Although Ryabkov did not specify particular events that prompted this shift, his comments reflect growing concerns in Moscow about the ongoing conflict and the role of the Western countries in supplying Ukraine with advanced weaponry.

Russia’s current nuclear doctrine, signed by President Vladimir Putin in June 2020, allows the use of nuclear weapons in two main scenarios: in response to a nuclear attack or the use of weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies; and in the event of conventional aggression that threatens the existence of the Russian state. However, the current conflict and Western involvement have added new layers of complexity to Moscow’s security calculations.

Public discussion on possible changes to Russia's nuclear policy has been ongoing for over a year. These discussions gained more traction after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested the possibility of Western troops intervening in Ukraine. Although this idea was dismissed by NATO allies, it raised new questions about the potential for escalation in the conflict.

Ukraine’s recent cross-border raid that has seen its forces seize almost 500 square miles of Russian territory and strikes on Russian military facilities and infrastructure using Western-supplied weapons have further heightened tensions. The use of long-range missiles has raised the stakes, leading to increased speculation about whether Russia might consider using nuclear weapons to defend its own territory.

President Putin first hinted at the possibility of using nuclear weapons at the start of what he calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, warning that western interference would reap “consequences they have never seen.”

On February 24, Russia launched an all-out offensive in Ukraine, claiming that the assault was aimed to protect the people of Ukraine's separatist-controlled regions allegedly being attacked by the Ukrainian military. The Kremlin explained that the decision was made after separatist leaders of the so-called republics had asked Moscow for military support against Kyiv.

Soon after announcing the “military operation” in Ukraine, President Putin ordered to put the country’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert, upping fears of a potential nuclear war. The move prompted strong condemnation from the United States, the world’s second-largest nuclear power, where Vladimir Putin’s order was described as “totally unacceptable.”

Russia owns the world’s largest nuclear weapons stockpile, with an estimated 6,257 total warheads. Moscow reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in two cases: in response to a nuclear attack or the use of weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies, or if the existence of the Russian state is threatened.