Putin's BIG decision on nuclear weapons: 5 scenarios when Russia can use nuke against Ukraine | READ MORE
India TV NewsMoscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday approved an updated nuclear doctrine, saying that Russia could consider using nuclear weapons if it was subject to a conventional missile assault on it supported by a nuclear power. The decision to change Russia's official nuclear doctrine is the Kremlin’s answer to a reported decision by the administration of US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to fire American long-range missiles deep into Russia. Asked about whether the updated doctrine was deliberately issued on the heels of the US′ decision to ease restrictions on Ukraine using its longer-range missiles to strike Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the document was published “in a timely manner” and that Putin instructed the government to update it earlier this year so that it is “in line with the current situation.” Putin first announced changes in the nuclear doctrine in September, when he chaired a meeting discussing the proposed revisions. The wide formulation appears to significantly broaden the triggers for possible nuclear weapons use compared with the previous version of the document, which stated that Russia could tap its atomic arsenal if “reliable information is received about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting the territory of Russia or its allies.” The revised doctrine envisages that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to aggression against its ally Belarus.