Nuclear threat

EU angered by Vladimir Putin’s new nuclear doctrine

A nuclear missile launcher rolls across Red Square in Moscow.

(Bild: AFP/Alexander NEMENOV)

The European Union has strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's new nuclear weapons doctrine. The Kremlin leader has repeatedly demonstrated how ruthlessly he would proceed.

The EU "firmly rejects the threats", said Peter Stano, spokesman for EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell, in Brussels on Thursday. Putin had previously presented an expanded doctrine in Moscow. It provides for the facilitated use of nuclear weapons in the event of massive air attacks on Russia - even if the attacks are carried out with conventional weapons.

Borrell's spokesman said that Putin was thus continuing his "reckless and irresponsible behavior". He does not shy away from "playing the nuclear vabanque game again and again".

Warning to the West
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the doctrine a warning to Western countries that support Ukraine. It is "a signal that warns these countries of the consequences if they take part in an attack on our country using various, not necessarily nuclear, means".

Putin presented the new doctrine shortly before a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden. Selensky has been urging the USA for months to allow attacks deep inside Russian territory using weapons supplied by Washington. Putin had warned that in such a case NATO would be "at war" with Russia.

Glide bombs for Kiev
In addition to the USA, other NATO countries such as the UK, Germany and Italy have also set narrow limits on Kiev's use of their weapons against targets in Russia. However, the USA and the UK have delivered weapons with the longest range to Ukraine. A new US package is said to contain glide bombs.