Vladimir Putin has said Russia would “consider” a nuclear response to an attack by any state and would consider a conventional attack backed by a nuclear power as their joint attack.
Putin’s statement, made as part of what he said were proposed changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine on Wednesday, was a clear message to Ukraine’s allies as the US weighs Kyiv’s request to let it use western-made missiles for strikes on targets deep into Russian territory.
“Aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” Putin said.
Russia could use nuclear weapons after receiving “reliable information” about a massed aerial assault by strategic and tactical plane, ballistic missiles, drones, and hypersonic missiles, he added. Moscow would also consider an attack against its ally Belarus to be an attack on Russia itself, Putin said.
