Against the backdrop of its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia is planning to change its nuclear doctrine, according to the Foreign Ministry. The experience of the “military special operation” and the behavior of the West have shown that some parameters described in the military doctrine need to be adjusted – including the policy of nuclear deterrence, said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Tuesday, according to Russian news agencies. He did not want to comment in more detail.
According to Ryabkov, the new wording is related to the fact that the international situation is becoming increasingly complicated. He said that work on the changes is not yet complete. There is also no time frame for the completion of a new doctrine.
The current Russian nuclear doctrine states that Moscow can use nuclear weapons in two cases: in the event of a nuclear attack on Russia or if an attack with conventional weapons threatens the country’s existence. The vague definition has prompted some hardliners to urge the Kremlin to tighten the doctrine in order to force the West to take the warnings more seriously.
