“Amending the Nuclear Doctrine”: Russia Prepares to Put the World “on the Brink of a Volcano”
A green light for amending Russia’s nuclear doctrine was given months ago by Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the recent U.S. decision regarding weapons for Ukraine appears to have prompted an accelerated announcement of its “practical implementation already finalized.”
The announcement was made Tuesday by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who confirmed that “the amendments introduced by Russia to its nuclear doctrine have been drafted.”
Speaking to the Russian news agency TASS, Peskov added: “They have practically been finalized. They will be formalized if necessary.”
What does this mean?
“Any conventional attack on Russia supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack,” said President Putin while discussing the amendment to the nuclear doctrine.
This statement resurfaced following the decision by outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to use American long-range missiles to strike “military targets deep inside Russian territory.”
Russia’s 2020 nuclear principles, which have been amended, define four scenarios in which the president might consider using nuclear weapons:
- Receiving reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting Russia or its allies.
- An enemy attack potentially affecting vital Russian government or military sites.
- An attack on Russia or its allies using weapons of mass destruction.
- An attack on Russia with conventional weapons that threatens its existence as a state.
Putin has already proposed “lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons and increasing the number of cases outlined in the Russian nuclear doctrine.”
This amendment, which Russia is on the verge of adopting, revives the specter of nuclear war and places the world on the brink of a volcano.
The amendments are widely viewed as Putin’s attempt to draw a “red line” for the U.S. and its allies by signaling that Moscow would consider responding with nuclear weapons if these nations allowed Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with Western long-range missiles.
What does Russia possess?
Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, known as “Doomsday Weapons,” as well as the most advanced launch systems.
According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has approximately 5,977 nuclear warheads as of 2022, compared to 5,428 for the United States.
Of these, about 1,500 warheads have been retired, 2,889 are in reserve, and 1,588 are deployed as strategic nuclear warheads, according to media sources.
Russia has established a “Permanent Nuclear Deterrence Commission,” an entity under the Russian Security Council created in 1998.
Decisions approved by the president are binding for all federal executive authorities.
Russia considers the use of nuclear weapons a component of its military and defense strategy.
At the same time, its nuclear doctrine does not commit Russia to an absolute principle of “no first use.”
In February 2023, Putin signed a law suspending Russia’s participation in the New START treaty. In response, U.S. authorities announced they would no longer provide Moscow with certain information about their nuclear forces.
Russia had warned that allowing American missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory would change the nature of the conflict in Ukraine and signify NATO’s direct involvement in the conflict with Russia.
