Moscow, (EFE).- Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a nuclear “warning” to the West not to authorize Ukraine to use long-range missiles, with the approval of a new doctrine that allows nuclear responses to attacks conventional attacks against the territories of Russia and Belarus.
“It is a warning that warns of the consequences in the event that these countries participate in an attack against our country by various means, not necessarily nuclear,” Dmitri Peskov, presidential spokesman, said today in his daily telephone press conference.
Last night Putin gave the order to introduce changes in nuclear doctrine because the political-military situation in the world “is actively changing”, which leads to the emergence of “new sources of military threat and risks for Russia and its allies.”
The announcement coincides with the visit to the United States of the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, who will present this Thursday to the head of the White House, Joe Biden, his plan for victory, which includes security guarantees and the supply of weapons to defeat Russia. .
A new nuclear order
Putin had already suggested this possibility several months ago, but did not decide to announce the new doctrine until Moscow concluded that, in reality, NATO had already made the political decision a long time ago to allow kyiv to hit targets in Russian territory with its missiles. .
On Wednesday, during the meeting of the Russian Security Council, he highlighted that “the category of States and military alliances was expanded” and “the list of military threats” against which “nuclear deterrence actions” will be carried out, in reference to to the Russian triad (intercontinental missiles, atomic submarines and strategic aircraft).
In this regard, Peskov stressed today that the new doctrine is aimed “at unfriendly countries,” referring to NATO members, in addition to Japan and Australia, among others.
In addition, the spokesperson mentioned as arguments for the change “the unprecedented confrontation caused by the direct participation of Western countries, including nuclear powers, in the conflict in Ukraine” and “the elements of tension that are accumulating on our borders.”
Of course, he did not confirm that the new doctrine entails either an increase in the strategic arsenal or an early nuclear test by Russia, although Moscow has prepared a military range in Novaya Zemlya, the scene of the last Soviet atomic test in 1990.
Conventional weapons and enemy drones
Putin noted that “in the renewed wording of the document, aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear power, will be considered a joint attack against Russia.”
However, the newspaper Kommersant specifies in its analysis that this option was already introduced by Russia in 1995 and, in fact, could allow it to resort to said weapons against Ukrainian troops for penetrating the Russian region of Kursk in August.
“We reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in case of aggression against Russia and Belarus as a member of the State Union (…) Including if the adversary uses conventional weapons and creates a vital threat to our sovereignty,” said the head of the Kremlin. .
This point is interpreted by the newspaper as “lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons,” since the 2020 document allowed this possibility only if the attack threatened the very existence of the State.
In turn, he stressed that the doctrine specifies “the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons by Russia (…) in the event of receiving true information about the massive takeoff of aerospace attack means and the crossing of our border.”
For the first time, the document refers not only to enemy aviation and hypersonic devices, but also to drones, an instrument of war that has gained great popularity in recent years.
Ukraine and EU reject threats
The Ukrainian presidency was quick to respond to what it called “nuclear blackmail,” arguing that it is the only instrument of intimidation in the world that the Kremlin has at its disposal.
“The other instruments do not work (…). It is evident that Russia does not understand how to stop what is coming in this war,” said Mijailo Podoliak, presidential advisor, on Telegram.
Meanwhile, the European Union “strongly” rejected the threats this Thursday and recalled that it is simply “the continuation of very irresponsible and unacceptable behavior on the part of Putin.”
“This is not the first time that Putin plays with his nuclear arsenal,” said Peter Stano, EU Foreign Affairs spokesman, at a press conference.
