Russia to shift nuclear doctrine due to West's actions in Ukraine

Russia will make changes to its nuclear doctrine in response to the West’s actions over the conflict in Ukraine, the TASS state news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Sunday.

Ryabkov did not say what the changes would entail. Russia’s existing nuclear doctrine, set out in a decree by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, says it may use nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the state.

Russia, which accuses the West of using Ukraine as a proxy to wage war against it, has said before that it is considering changes. Ryabkov’s was the most categorical statement yet that it would proceed with them.

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“The work is at an advanced stage, and there is a clear intent to make corrections”, TASS cited Ryabkov as saying.

He said the decision is “connected with the escalation course of our Western adversaries” in connection with the conflict in Ukraine.

This comes after NATO members reaffirmed their commitment last week to “stepping up their military aid to Ukraine following the meeting of ambassadors with Ukrainian officials recently at Kyiv’s request.

“We must continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment and munitions it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. This is vital for Ukraine’s ability to stay in the fight,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.

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Several NATO countries also called for lifting restrictions on Kyiv’s use of weapons supplied by Western allies, especially long-range missiles, to help Ukraine better defend itself against deadly strikes, AFP cited a diplomatic source as saying.

As NATO allies scramble to bolster Ukraine’s depleted and outmatched military, Moscow’s recent nuclear posturing signals a potentially perilous escalation in the conflict.

Russia has conveyed a clear message in the wake of NATO support to Ukraine, saying “refrain from providing excessive military aid to Ukraine, lest you risk provoking a confrontation with Russia that could rapidly turn into a nuclear conflict.”

With inputs from agencies.