Putin lowers nuclear-strike threshold as Ukraine launches long-range missiles into Russia
By James Lynch | National Review
Russian president Vladimir Putin revised Russia’s nuclear doctrine Tuesday, reducing its threshold for using nuclear weapons just as the Russian military announced that Ukraine had launched long-range missiles supplied by the U.S. into Russian territory.
Putin’s new nuclear doctrine proclaims that Russia can use nuclear weapons in response to an attack from a non-nuclear state with support from a nuclear state, a clear reference to U.S. support for Ukraine. The doctrine formalizes a policy Putin announced in September during a televised meeting with top officials.
“[Russian] President [Vladimir Putin] gave the relevant instructions prior. The president himself stated that the preparation of the amendments was in the final stage. The updat...