Putin Announces New Rules for Nuclear Arsenal Use

In a televised meeting of Russia's Security Council on nuclear deterrence on Wednesday, Putin described the key elements of the revised document, which has been drafted but awaits the president’s approval.

The Russian leader warned that his country may use nuclear weapons in response to an attack with conventional arms, according to the latest updates to the country's nuclear doctrine, known formally as Basic Principles of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence.

An attack against Russia by a non-nuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” would be seen as a “joint attack on the Russian Federation,” said Putin.

He also stressed that the Russian Federation might deploy nuclear weapons in reaction to a conventional attack deemed a “critical threat to our sovereignty.”

This change seems to considerably reduce the threshold for Russia’s use of nuclear weapons and coincides with discussions among Ukraine’s Western allies about permitting Kiev to launch longer-range weapons to target military sites deep within Russia.