Why Did Russia Revise Its Nuclear Doctrine? Key Reasons Explained!

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, which fundamentally changed Moscow's strategy for nuclear deterrence. According to the revised doctrine, any conventional attack on Russia backed by a nuclear power would be interpreted as a coordinated attack on the Russian Federation. 

This modification was made public on the 1,000th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It highlights Russia's increasing reliance on nuclear threats in the midst of its long-lasting military conflict with Ukraine. The decision also reflects heightened tensions of Russia with the West countries. 

Why the New Doctrine?

The new doctrine's timing is very important with regard to the international turmoil that’s happening around the world. It comes after President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to employ US-provided ATACMS missiles to attack Russian sites, raising worries in Moscow about the West's increasing engagement in the war.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, explained that the modification was made to reflect the "current situation" rather than in direct reaction to the US action. It is evident, therefore, that this change in nuclear policy is intended to strengthen Russia's stance by sending a message to its allies and enemies alike that it is ready to intensify its strategies, including the use of nuclear weapons.

Key Changes in Russia's New Nuclear Doctrine

The key change in Russia's updated nuclear doctrine is the broader criteria for using nuclear weapons. Previously, Russia's nuclear policy focused on responding to direct threats, like ballistic missile attacks targeting its territory. However, the revised doctrine expands this view significantly.

• New Criteria for Nuclear Use: Russia now considers any conventional attack by a non-nuclear country, if supported by a nuclear-armed nation, as joint aggression against Russia. Hence Russia might retaliate to this threat with nuclear weapon.
• Uncertainty in Russia’s Response: While this doesn’t mean every such scenario will lead to a nuclear response, it increases ambiguity. The newly revised doctrine emphasizes "uncertainty of scale, time, and place." This has made Russia's threshold for nuclear retaliation less predictable. The anticipation of a nuclear attack by Russia in response to any threat is now more complex than ever. 

The fact that Putin signed this updated doctrine is a stark reminder of how important nuclear weapons are to Russia's defense strategy, particularly in its military campaign in Ukraine continues. The new strategy highlights how unpredictable Russia's nuclear stance is and cautions that even a conventional military operation backed by a nuclear power could have disastrous results.

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