The Russian president, Vladimir Putinsigned a decree this Tuesday that allows Moscow to use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear State if it has the support of atomic powers.
“Among the conditions that justify the use of nuclear weapons includes the launching of ballistic missiles against Russia“, states the decree.
This advertisement coincides with the day 1000 of the Russian offensive in Ukraine and arrives shortly after USA approved the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine to attack military targets within Russian territory.
The Kremlin expressed its rejection of Washington’s decision, calling it “reckless” and assuring that there will be a response from Moscow.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskovchanges in Russian nuclear doctrine are already “practically formulated” and will be formalized if necessary, according to statements collected by the state agency TASS.
“It was necessary to align our principles with the current situation”Peskov stated after the announcement.
The doctrinepublished on the legal information portal of the Russian stateexpands the category of military alliances against which Russia will apply the nuclear deterrence strategy.
“The aggression of any State belonging to a military coalition (bloc, alliance) against the Russian Federation and (or) its allies is viewed as an aggression of the coalition as a whole,” points out.
The clauses are considered by analysts as a clear warning to USA and the I’LL TAKEin case they decide to get directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia can resort to nuclear weapons also in case of “massive attack” with warplanescruise missiles, hypersonics, drones and other unmanned devices that violate the country’s airspace.
For the first time, the document refers not only to enemy aviation and hypersonic devices, but also to dronesan instrument of war that has gained great popularity in recent years.
At the same time, the doctrine emphasizes that Russia sees nuclear weapons as “an instrument of deterrence” of a defensive nature, the use of which is an “extreme and forced measure.”
Putin had announced the changes in nuclear doctrine at the end of September, but promulgated it just when they were fulfilled 1,000 days of fighting in Ukraine.
Furthermore, the announcement takes place after USAaccording to the Western press, authorized Ukraine the use of long-range missiles against territory Russian.
Putinwhich approved after the start of the war the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarushad warned that this decision would mean that USA and the I’LL TAKE “They are at war with Russia.”
The head of the Kremlin warned in September that his country could now use nuclear weapons in the event of “massive” aerial bombardments against Russia, and that any attack by a country without atomic weapons, such as Ukraine, but supported by a nuclear power, such as the United States , could be considered a “joint” aggression likely to require such a measure.
Meanwhile, new tensions have arisen following a report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirming the presence of banned riot control gases in soil samples collected on the front lines in Ukraine.
kyiv accused Russia of using these chemicals in combat, violating the international law.
“We call on our partners to take decisive action against the attacker and bring those responsible to justice. True peace can only be achieved with strength, not appeasement”said the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The general director of the OPCW, Fernando Ariasexpressed “serious concern” about the findings, recalling that all member states, including Russia and Ukraine, have sworn not to use chemical weapons under any circumstances.
Although the OPCW corroborated the chain of custody of the samples collected, it clarified that the report does not seek to identify the origin of the toxic chemical. However, kyiv and its Western allies accuse Russia of systematically using banned weapons, demonstrating, they say, a chronic disregard for international law.
(With information from EFE and AFP)
