Putin issues fresh warning to West about use of nuclear weapons

New Delhi, Sep 26: Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued his most clear warning to the West regarding Moscow’s potential use of nuclear weapons, proposing a revision to Russia’s nuclear doctrine if Western-supported long-range missiles are provided to Ukraine and are used against Russia.

In a meeting with Russia’s Security Council on Wednesday, Putin made clear that any attack on Russia by a non-nuclear state, if backed by a nuclear power, would be treated as a “joint attack” on Russia itself.

This is a forceful statement and a shift from Russia’s current nuclear policy, which traditionally allowed for the use of nuclear weapons only in response to a nuclear strike or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the state.

Putin’s escalatory warnings suggest that Russia is willing to defend those red lines with nuclear force. Speaking earlier this month, Putin stated that if the West lifts its restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons, “Russia would be at war with the United States and its allies.”

Putin’s move highlights the growing risks of the Ukraine conflict that is already a two-and-a-half-year-old escalating into a broader confrontation between nuclear powers, a scenario that has increasingly alarmed global leaders and experts alike.

The Kremlin’s latest doctrinal changes come as discussions in the United States and the United Kingdom consider permitting Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike military targets inside Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been advocating for the ability to hit Russian bases, as part of Kyiv’s efforts to counter missile attacks launched from within Russian territory.

“Russia’s Nuclear Might: The Cornerstone of Putin’s Strategy

Putin’s warnings are added by Russia’s nuclear strength, which is unparalleled globally. As the country with the largest nuclear arsenal, Russia controls nearly 6,000 nuclear warheads, giving it a critical role in any potential nuclear confrontation. This includes an estimated 1,500 tactical nuclear weapons, which, as Putin has previously noted, far outnumber the capabilities of NATO countries, particularly in Europe. During a speech in June, as media reported Putin emphasized this nuclear advantage, stating, “Russia has many more than Europe, even if the United States brings theirs over.”

Russia’s nuclear posture has long been central to its defence strategy, particularly as a deterrent to Western military intervention. In his latest remarks, Putin described nuclear weapons as “the most important guarantee of the security of our state and citizens,” further affirming that Russia would consider using them in response to a conventional attack on its territory.

This doctrine revision, however, expands the scope of what Russia considers an existential threat. For the first time, Russia has indicated that conventional attacks supported by nuclear powers, like the U.S. or the U.K., could trigger a nuclear response. “It is proposed that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” Putin stated.

Nuclear Weapon Use Risk on Rise

The implications of Putin’s new nuclear doctrine are reflective, and they introduce a dangerous level of uncertainty into the global security environment. While the principle of nuclear deterrence based on mutually assured destruction (MAD)—has largely prevented the use of nuclear weapons since World War II, Putin’s broadening of nuclear “red lines” raises fears of miscalculation or unintended escalation, particularly in the high-stakes context of the Ukraine war.

The West has reacted with concern. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, dismissed Putin’s statements as “nuclear blackmail,” stating that “Russia no longer has anything other than nuclear blackmail to intimidate the world.”

However, these threats cannot be easily ignored. The conflict in Ukraine has already brought Russia and NATO to their most dangerous confrontation since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and Putin’s rhetoric continues to stoke fears of a potential third world war. As Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump warned recently, “The risk of nuclear war has never been higher.”

For Ukraine and its Western allies, the debate over how far to push military support continues. Zelensky has been pressing the U.S. to provide long-range missiles like the ATACMS and British Storm Shadows to strike deep into Russian territory, arguing that only by hitting Russian military bases can Kyiv limit Moscow’s capacity to launch missile strikes into Ukraine.

The Nuclear Standoff

The world’s two largest nuclear powers, Russia and the U.S., control 88% of the planet’s nuclear warheads. While both nations are bound by the fragile balance of nuclear deterrence, the Ukraine conflict has tested these limits so far in unprecedented ways. Putin’s threats of nuclear retaliation against Western-supported attacks, in addition to the ongoing war in Ukraine, have significantly raised the stakes of this standoff.

Experts fear that as the war drags on, the line between conventional and nuclear conflict could blur. The Kremlin’s doctrine shift could embolden Russia to use tactical nuclear weapons if it perceives that a critical threat is emerging, particularly in the face of increasing Western military support for Ukraine.

With global leaders like U.S. President Joe Biden warning of the catastrophic consequences of a direct NATO-Russia confrontation, it is clear that Putin’s nuclear rhetoric has pushed the world into a new era of nuclear brinkmanship.

As long as the war in Ukraine continues and tensions between Russia and the West remain high, the risk of a catastrophic escalation involving nuclear weapons looms uncomfortably close.

In the words of CIA Director Bill Burns, who voiced concerns last year about Russia’s willingness to use tactical nuclear weapons, “We are in uncharted territory.” The ongoing revisions to Russia’s nuclear policy, combined with Putin’s increasingly strident threats, make navigating this territory all the more precarious.