On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin signed an updated nuclear doctrine. This document stipulates that any attack on Russia supported by a nuclear-armed state could justify a nuclear response.
The signing coincided with the 1000th day of the war in Ukraine and followed President Biden’s authorization for Ukraine to use longer-range U.S.-supplied missiles to strike within Russia.
The doctrine also declares that Russia may use nuclear weapons in response to aggression against its ally, Belarus, according to The Associated Press.
While the doctrine doesn’t guarantee a nuclear response, it highlights the “uncertainty of scale, time and place of possible use of nuclear deterrent” as crucial deterrent principles.
When questioned about a possible link between the updated doctrine and Biden’s decision, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the AP the doctrine’s release was “timely.”
Peskov also stated that Putin had directed the government earlier this year to revise the doctrine to align with the current situation. The Russian president had previously discussed these proposed changes.
First revealed in September, the doctrine now officially defines an attack by a non-nuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” as a “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”
It also expands the conditions for nuclear weapons use, including responses to air attacks involving ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, drones, and other airborne vehicles.
The previous doctrine threatened nuclear retaliation if “reliable information is received about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting the territory of Russia or its allies.”