Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced on Sunday that the country will make changes to its nuclear weapons doctrine in response to what it perceives as Western escalation in the Ukraine conflict, according to state media reports.
The current nuclear doctrine, established by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, allows for nuclear weapon use in case of a nuclear attack on Russia or a conventional attack threatening the state’s existence. Ryabkov’s statement, reported by TASS news agency, indicates that modifications to this policy are in advanced stages.
“The work is at an advanced stage, and there is a clear intent to make corrections,” Ryabkov said, attributing the decision to the “escalation course of our Western adversaries” in relation to the Ukraine conflict.
This development follows Putin’s June statement describing the nuclear doctrine as a “living instrument” subject to change based on global events. Some Russian military analysts have advocated for lowering the threshold for nuclear use to deter Russia’s Western opponents.
Moscow accuses the West of using Ukraine as a proxy in a war against Russia, with the aim of inflicting a “strategic defeat” and fragmenting the country. The United States and its allies deny these claims, stating they are assisting Ukraine in self-defense against Russian aggression.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin has made several statements interpreted by the West as nuclear threats. He has also announced the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Despite these warnings, Western countries have continued to increase military aid to Ukraine, including supplying tanks, long-range missiles, and F-16 fighter jets. Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russian territory has further heightened tensions, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy describing it as defying Putin’s “red lines.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a recent interview, accused the West of “going too far” and stated that Russia would take all necessary measures to protect its interests.
Ryabkov did not specify when the updated nuclear doctrine would be finalized, noting the complexity of the issue given its importance to national security.
Russia, possessing the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, maintains readiness for nuclear conflict “from a military-technical point of view,” according to Putin’s March statement. However, he also emphasized that Russia has not faced a need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and does not see a rush towards nuclear confrontation.
