Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to warn the West on Wednesday that his nation could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles.
The remarks from Putin come as the US and Britain debate whether or not Ukraine should be given permission to fire conventional Western missiles into Russia.
As a result of these discussions, Russia is changing its official nuclear doctrine, opening the possibility of nuclear war, according to remarks released from the Kremlin.
“The conditions for Russia’s transition to the use of nuclear weapons are also clearly fixed,” Putin said.
He went on to add that Moscow would consider using its nuclear arsenal if it detected any large-scale launch of missiles, drones, or aircraft against his country.
Putin also noted that Moscow would consider any assault against Russia supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack and that he would hold both nations responsible.
“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 said.
Putin told Russia’s Security Council that the changes are also in response to the changing global landscape, which he says creates new threats and risks for Russia.
During the meeting, he said he wanted to highlight one key change, that Russia would reserve the right to use nuclear weapons if it or its ally Belarus were the subject of aggression, especially by conventional weapons.
Putin’s move will now change his 2020 nuclear doctrine that said Russia may use nuclear weapons in case of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the state.
He said that his changes were carefully thought out and were meant to address modern military threats facing Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officials have called the comments from Putin empty threats, urging the U.S. and Britain to let them use Western missiles. Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, echoed this in a response to Putin this week, CNN reported.
“Russia no longer has any instruments to intimidate the world apart from nuclear blackmail,” Yermak said. “These instruments will not work.”