Russia to change its nuclear doctrine in response to West's "escalation course"

Russia intends to change its nuclear doctrine based on an analysis of the conflicts of recent years and the "escalation course" of the West.

Source: Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, in a comment to TASS, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "As we have repeatedly stated, the work is at an advanced stage, and there is a clear determination to make a correction, which is due in large part to the study and analysis of the experience of conflict development in recent years, including, of course, everything related to our Western opponents' escalation course."

Details: Ryabkov explained that now the process of finalising the relevant document is underway, but it is too early to talk about the specific timing of its completion.

"The time of completion of this work is a rather complicated issue, given the fact that we are talking about the most important aspects of ensuring our national security," he said.

Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin's leader, stated that the Russian nuclear doctrine is a living document that may be updated as needed. As he underscored, Moscow assumes that an exchange of nuclear strikes will never occur.

Earlier, Ryabkov stated that the West's actions raise the matter of bringing the Russian Federation's nuclear doctrine into line with its needs. He stated that the acts of the United States and its allies have significantly exacerbated the foreign policy situation, and Moscow is continuously assessing how its nuclear deterrence documents respond to these difficulties.

According to the 2020 "Foundations of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Area of Nuclear Deterrence," Russia's use of nuclear weapons is possible if the adversary uses this or other types of weapons of mass destruction against the Russian Federation and its allies, receiving reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles to attack Russia and its allies, the impact of the enemy on objects necessary for the response of nuclear forces, as well as in the case of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons, when the very existence of the state is threatened.

Background: 

• In March, US President Joe Biden signed a confidential nuclear strategy plan that, for the first time, refocused the deterrence strategy on China in order to prevent it from expanding its nuclear arsenal.
• Earlier, the media stated that Russia, even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was preparing its navy to hit targets deep in Europe with nuclear-armed missiles in the event of a military clash with NATO.

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