The Russian president, Vladimir Putinhas approved a nuclear doctrine that allows responses with nuclear weapons to conventional attacks that threaten the sovereignty of Russia and Belarus.
The doctrine authorizes a nuclear attack in case the enemy conventional attack involves “a critical threat to sovereignty and (or) territorial integrity” of both countries, which make up the Russia-Belarus State Union.
The document also “joint attack” will be considered the aggression of a country that lacks atomic weapons, but has the support of a nuclear power.
The doctrine, published on the legal information portal of the Russian State, expands the category of military alliances against which Russia will apply the nuclear deterrence strategy.
“The aggression of any State belonging to a military coalition (bloc, alliance) against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies is seen as an aggression by the coalition as a whole”he points out.
Clear warning to the United States
These last two clauses are considered by analysts as a clear warning to the United States and NATO, in case they decide to involve directly into the conflict Ukraine.
Russia can also resort to nuclear weapons in the event of a “massive attack” with warplanes, cruise missiles, hypersonics, drones and other unmanned devices that violate the country’s airspace.
For the first time, The document refers not only to enemy aviation and hypersonic devices, but also to dronesan instrument of war that has gained great popularity in recent years.
At the same time, the doctrine emphasizes that Russia sees nuclear weapons as “an instrument of deterrence” defensive in nature, whose use is an “extreme and forced measure.”
Putin had announced the changes to nuclear doctrine at the end of September, but he promulgated it just as 1,000 days of fighting in Ukraine had passed.
Putin’s warnings
The announcement comes after the US, according to the Western press, authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russian territory.
Putin, who approved the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after the start of the war, had warned that such a decision would mean that the US and NATO “are at war with Russia.”
The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, already warned yesterday that the use of American long-range ATACMS missiles from Ukraine against Russian territory will have an “appropriate and tangible response.”
Specifically, Zarajova stated in an official statement that “the use of long-range missiles by kyiv to attack our territory would mean the direct participation of the United States and its satellites in military actions against Russia and would imply a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict. “The response in this case would be appropriate and tangible.”
