Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Wednesday that his country reserves the right to use nuclear weapons if neighboring Belarus, an ally in the war against Ukraine, is attacked.
“We reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Russia or Belarus,” Putin said during a meeting of the Russian Security Council in Moscow on nuclear deterrence, emphasizing that this matter was agreed upon with Minsk.
Affirming this right, Putin pointed to Belarus as a member of the union formed by the two countries under a 1999 agreement aimed at closer integration, a process that has accelerated in recent years.
Putin mentioned that several clarifications of Russia’s nuclear doctrine were proposed following the work of the defense and foreign ministries, as well as other ministries, over the past year.
He stated that in the updated version of the doctrine, “aggression” against Russia by any non-nuclear state, with the involvement or support of a nuclear country, would be considered a joint attack on Moscow.
“The conditions for Russia’s transition to the use of nuclear weapons are also clearly outlined. We will consider this option upon receiving reliable information about massive air-space attacks and their crossing of our state borders,” Putin added.
His remarks came as Ukraine was reportedly pressuring the United States (U.S.) to allow them to launch deeper attacks into Russian territory as the conflict initiated by Moscow over two and a half years ago continues.
In 2020, Putin indicated when Moscow might use its nuclear arsenal after signing an executive order on nuclear deterrence policy.
The doctrine allows Moscow to use nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatens Russia’s existence.
Earlier this month, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Russian media that work on updating the country’s nuclear doctrine was in its advanced stages and that there was a clear directive for its adjustment.
