Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons in the past, but now he’s expanding those threats.
According to the BBC, Putin has suggested new rules that could allow Russia to use nuclear weapons in more situations, including if a non-nuclear country, like Ukraine, attacks Russia with the help of a nuclear-armed country like the US.
In a key speech, Putin said Russia might change its nuclear weapons policy and consider a wider range of scenarios for using them, as reported by the BBC.
For example, if there’s a missile attack on Russia, even from a non-nuclear country like Ukraine, but supported by a nuclear country, Russia would view it as a joint attack.
This makes it more likely that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it feels threatened. Ukraine, which gets military help from the US, is one such non-nuclear country.
BBC reports that this comes at a time when Ukraine is asking for long-range missiles from Western countries to hit military targets in Russia. Ukraine has already been pushing into Russian territory and wants to stop Russia from launching attacks on its land.
Ukrainian officials, like Andriy Yermak, responded by saying Russia is using “nuclear blackmail” to scare the world and prevent more support from reaching Ukraine.
Putin’s nuclear threats are part of what the BBC calls “saber-rattling,” which means he’s trying to intimidate other countries by mentioning nuclear weapons.
However, even Russia’s ally, China, has asked for calm, and its President Xi Jinping reportedly told Putin not to use nuclear arms.
On Wednesday, after meeting with his top officials, Putin confirmed that Russia could change its nuclear policy to clearly define when they would use nuclear weapons. One scenario, according to the BBC, is if Russia is attacked with missiles, aircraft, or drones that pose a “critical threat” to its security.
Putin also mentioned that Russia’s nuclear weapons are the most important way to protect its country and citizens. This is part of the broader idea of deterrence, where countries avoid using nuclear weapons because of the threat of mutual destruction.
However, Russia has a large stock of tactical nuclear weapons, which are smaller and less destructive than the massive nuclear bombs, but still dangerous.
In June, Putin warned Europe that Russia has more of these tactical nuclear weapons than any other country in Europe, including the US.
He even suggested that European countries are vulnerable to nuclear strikes because they don’t have advanced early-warning systems like Russia.
The BBC notes that Putin hinted at changes to Russia’s nuclear policy earlier, and now it seems he is following through with those warnings.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yjej0rvw0o