Russia Threatens Nuclear Doctrine 'Amendments' amid Ukraine War

A top Russian official has said that the war in Ukraine makes it necessary for Moscow to make changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine.

The comments by Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, follow growing debate and concern about the doctrine which calls for Moscow to use atomic weapons if it perceives a threat to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Since the start of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has been ambiguous in his posturing about nuclear weapons, saying on the one hand he does not need them to achieve his goals while last month drills of tactical—or battlefield—nuclear weapons took place in southern Russia and with ally Belarus.

During the St Petersburg International Economic Forum last month, Putin also suggested there could be changes to the nuclear doctrine which he described as a "living instrument."

The Russian president said that Moscow is "closely watching what is happening in the world" and that the Kremlin "does not rule out making any changes to this doctrine."

Russian officials such as former president Dmitry Medvedev, have also made regular nuclear weapons threats, while Kremlin propagandists have suggested missile strikes on western countries allied with Ukraine.

Ryabkov told the Russian foreign policy magazine International Affairs that the war in Ukraine meant that "nuclear deterrence in its traditional sense does not work fully" and as such there needs to be some "conceptual additions and amendments."

Without offering details as to how, Ryabkov said eventually there will be "more concrete approaches" by Russia regarding "further escalation on the part of our adversaries," repeating Kremlin rhetoric that the West is escalating the conflict in Ukraine started by Putin.

Discourse about Russia's nuclear doctrine has increased recently. Last month, Dmitri Trenin from the Moscow think tank, the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, said it should be modified to declare Russia could use atomic weapons first when "core national interests are at stake."

This is because Moscow must "persuade" those in the West that "they won't be able to stay comfortable and fully protected after provoking conflict with Russia," he added, according to The Associated Press on June 6.

The threat of Russia resorting to nuclear weapons has hung over the war and informed the balance in which the U.S. and NATO allies supply Ukraine with weapons to counter Moscow's aggression, without risking escalation.

Daryl G. Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said in an article last month that to avoid nuclear miscalculation, there must be a resumption of suspended Russian-U.S. dialogue on nuclear risk reduction and arms control.

He added that U.S. and other NATO members "must continue to refrain from making rhetorical threats of nuclear retaliation, avoid provocative nuclear exercises, and rule out mirroring counterproductive Russian moves."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian foreign ministry for comment.