russia legitimises nuclear strike on Ukraine: the OP responds
25 September 2024 22:05
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he wants to make changes to the country’s nuclear doctrine. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" reports with reference to the Russian media.
“Russia is obliged to take into account the emergence of new sources of military threats and risks for itself and its allies. The refinement of the Russian military doctrine is verified and proportional to the threats,” Putin said.
In practice, this will mean that Russia is preparing to legitimise its “right” to launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine.
“In the updated version of the document, aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” the Russian president emphasised.
Putin also listed several other conditions under which Russia would use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Among them:
- a critical threat to the sovereignty of the Russian Federation with conventional weapons;
- after receiving reliable data on the massive launch of missiles and UAVs while crossing the Russian border;
- upon receipt of information about the launch of air and space attack assets (strategic aircraft and other aircraft) towards Russia;
- in case of aggression against Belarus.
In turn, experts are already saying that Vladimir Putin made this statement amid discussions in the West about lifting the ban on long-range missile strikes against Ukraine. Earlier, the Russian leader said that allowing such strikes would mean that NATO countries would enter a war against Russia. By announcing the changes to the nuclear doctrine, Putin seems to be making it clear that he may use nuclear weapons in response to missile strikes on Russia.
Ukraine has already reacted to the Russian leader’s statement. The statement was made by the head of the Presidential Administration, Andriy Yermak.
“Apart from nuclear blackmail, Russia has nothing else, no other tools to intimidate the world. These tools will not work,” Yermak wrote.
