Russian President Vladimir Putin has renewed threats of nuclear confrontation with the West, aiming to influence Western decision-making and discourage the use of Western-provided weapons by Ukraine to strike targets within Russia.
During a September 25 meeting of the Russian Security Council’s standing conference on nuclear deterrence, Putin announced adjustments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, introducing new “clarifications” regarding the preconditions for nuclear weapon use.
Read: Ukrainian Forces Strike Russian Missile Depots, Radar System In Drone Assault
Putin outlined two key scenarios for potential nuclear weapon use: first, if Russia faces “aggression by a non-nuclear state-supported or assisted by a nuclear state,” and second, if Russia receives “reliable information” about a massive launch of air and space weapons—such as strategic and tactical aviation, cruise missiles, drones, or hypersonic missiles—crossing Russian borders.
These updates are seen as an effort to reinvigorate the Kremlin’s nuclear threats and create panic among Western policymakers, particularly as they debate Ukraine’s right to use Western-supplied weapons for long-range strikes against Russian military targets.
Read: Ukraine’s Incursion Into Kursk Oblast Spurs Major Russian Military Buildup, POW Exchanges
Russia has frequently employed nuclear threats during pivotal moments in Western discussions about military support for Ukraine in hopes of deterring further aid.
Despite these threats, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns warned Western policymakers on September 7 not to be swayed by Russia’s routine nuclear saber-rattling.
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