As the war in Ukraine nears its 1,000th day, Russian officials have escalated nuclear threats against the U.S., Ukraine, and the West. In September, President Vladimir Putin announced a lowered nuclear threshold, stating Russia would use nuclear weapons if attacked by a non-nuclear state supported by a nuclear power—a clear reference to Ukraine receiving long-range munitions from the West.
-Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed this warning at the UN General Assembly.
-Despite Ukraine’s requests for weapons like ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles to target key Russian military sites, the U.S. and NATO have hesitated due to these nuclear threats. Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal, the largest globally with approximately 5,800 warheads, underscores the gravity of the situation.
With the war in Ukraine nearing its 1,000 day, Russian officials continue to threaten the United States, Ukraine, and the West with nuclear warfare.
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced changes to his country’s nuclear arms threshold. According to the new doctrine, the Russian military would use nuclear weapons if a non-nuclear power attacked Russia with the participation or support of a nuclear power. Any such instances, Putin stated, would be seen as a, “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”
The changes refer to Ukraine’s request to use long-range munitions provided by the United States and NATO against targets within Russia.
A couple of days after Putin’s announcement, Russia’s top diplomat reiterated the lowering of the nuclear threshold.
“I’m not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said to the United Nations General Assembly.
“Whether or not they will provide the permission for Ukraine for long-range weapons, then we will see what their understanding was of what they heard,” Lavrov added during a news conference.
