Russia’s nuclear doctrine is the set of rules that Moscow imposes on itself for the use of nuclear weapons.
It states that the Kremlin can use its vast nuclear arsenal in response to any aggression that poses “a critical threat” to Russia’s sovereignty or territorial integrity. This open-ended criterion was introduced on November 19 in an update signed off by President Putin two days after the US announced that it would relax restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its long-range weaponry.
The previous version of the doctrine placed the bar for nuclear retaliation far higher, allowing it only if the existence of the Russian state was under threat
It states that the Kremlin can use its vast nuclear arsenal in response to any aggression that poses “a critical threat” to Russia’s sovereignty or territorial integrity. This open-ended criterion was introduced on November 19 in an update signed off by President Putin two days after the US announced that it would relax restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its long-range weaponry.
The previous version of the doctrine placed the bar for nuclear retaliation far higher, allowing it only if the existence of the Russian state was under threat
