Putin Threatens Nuclear Response to Western Missile Support for Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning to Ukraine’s NATO allies, threatening to expand Russia’s nuclear policy to encompass responses to attacks using advanced Western missiles. Speaking at a security council meeting, Putin stated that nuclear powers participating in or supporting conventional attacks against Russia would be considered aggressors.

This move is seen as a direct message to Western nations like the US and UK, who are deliberating over whether to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory. Although Putin stopped short of confirming whether nuclear weapons would be deployed in response to Western missile strikes, his threats are among the most explicit nuclear warnings since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia’s existing nuclear doctrine allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear first strike or if a conventional attack critically threatens the state’s existence. However, Putin’s recent remarks suggest the doctrine may be adjusted to lower the threshold for nuclear retaliation.

Additionally, Putin emphasized that an attack on Belarus, a close ally of Russia, would be treated as an attack on Russia itself, possibly warranting a nuclear response. Experts believe these proposed changes could further solidify Moscow’s readiness to use nuclear arms, though the Kremlin remains vague about specific conditions that might trigger such an action.