Russia will modify its nuclear doctrine in response to Western actions regarding the war in Ukraine, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Ryabkov did not specify what changes would be made. Russia’s current nuclear doctrine, established by a decree from Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2020, states that Russia may use nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear attack from any adversary or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the state.
Russia, which has accused the West of using Ukraine to fight Moscow, has previously mentioned considering changes to its nuclear doctrine. However, Ryabkov’s statement is the clearest indication yet of Russia’s intention to implement these changes.
“The work is in an advanced stage and has a clear goal of making improvements,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying.
According to him, the decision to alter the nuclear doctrine is “related to the escalating course of our Western adversaries” regarding the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine has been facing a Russian invasion since February 2022. The West is assisting Kyiv with military equipment and other financial and humanitarian aid.
