Have you heard about Putin’s new nuclear law?
According to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, one of the most extensive bans on engaging in nuclear weaponry is found in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). If you read this document, you’ll find several commitments related to avoiding the creation, testing, production, acquisition, holding, stockpiling, use, or threats of using nuclear weapons.
But as recent news stated, things are about to change. Or at least this is what Putin’s new nuclear law wants to do. On September 1st, the media announced that Russia plans on making changes to its doctrine regarding the use of nuclear weapons. This decision was taken as a response to the popular conflict that’s been in the media’s eye since February 2022.
According to the current nuclear strategy, which was outlined in a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, Russia might deploy nuclear weapons if a rival state launches a nuclear strike or a conventional attack endangering the state’s survival.
What’s happening?
To “sober up” Russia’s adversaries in the West, some hawkish military specialists in Russia have pushed President Putin to reduce the bar for using nuclear weapons. In June 2024, the political leader announced that the nuclear doctrine was a “living instrument” that would alter in response to global developments. The strongest indication to date that modifications will be implemented was provided by Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov’s remarks on September 1st.
The work is at an advanced stage, and there is a clear intent to make corrections,” Ryabkov was quoted by the official news agency TASS. He added that the decision was related to the Western enemies’ increasing aggression, connecting everything with the conflict we’re all familiar with at this point.
As sources say, Moscow stated that the West is guilty of using Ukraine as a proxy to break Russia apart. But there are always two sides to a story, and this one is no different. The US and its allies deny every accusation, claiming that they simply help the country in need defend itself against armed aggression in the manner of a colonial war.
Red lines and Putin’s new nuclear law
If you’ve been reading the news in the last two years, you already know what happened between two popular countries. While many other nations tried to help the one in need, the Russian president made an affirmation that shocked the entire world, saying that they could face severe consequences no one’s ever seen before.
Since then, Putin has declared the stationing of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and made several other remarks that the West views as nuclear threats. That hasn’t stopped the United States and its allies from providing the country in need with military support such as tanks, F-16 fighter jets, and long-range missiles.
But what about the new nuclear law? Is this something to be discussed?
Journalists discussed with Russian state media agency Tass at the beginning of the month and discovered that the officials in the country are at an advanced stage working to change Russia’s nuclear policy, which governs the use of nuclear weapons.
Even though none of them mentioned the time when these changes will take place, it’s understandable that many things should be taken into consideration, such as national security, civilian protection, and the world’s protection as well. But speaking of that, since the United States was one of the countries that helped the nation in need, are we in danger in case the current nuclear laws are changed? How is Putin’s new nuclear law going to affect us?
Conditions of use
Even though the Kremlin and senior officials have recently made statements echoing Ryabkov’s comments, there’s nothing new to the Russians’ saber-rattling over the use of nuclear weapons. However, the Foreign Minister’s remarks suggest that Russia is laying the groundwork for changes to state policy regarding the circumstances under which nuclear weapons would be acceptable.
The popular conflict that’s been in the media’s eye, along with its use of Western-supplied weaponry to attack military installations and infrastructure (especially long-range missiles), has raised doubts about Moscow’s willingness to use nuclear weapons to protect its own territory.
As it stands, Russia’s nuclear doctrine states that the country has the right to use nuclear weapons if it or its allies are attacked with nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, the nation can use nuclear weapons in response to conventional attacks if they threaten the country’s very existence.
Other conditions that could impact the use of these deadly weapons by Russia include the enemy’s impact on critically significant state or military facilities, as well as having access to trustworthy information regarding ballistic missile launches that target the Russian Federation and/or its allies.
In its 2020 policy, Russia described the use of nuclear weapons as “an extreme and necessary measure” meant mainly for deterrence. Russia views its nuclear policy as defensive and is committed to reducing nuclear threats and preventing escalation that could lead to military conflicts, including nuclear ones.
However, things seem to have changed since 2022, when Vladimir Putin said many times that he’s not afraid to order the use of these deadly weapons in case his country’s security is threatened.
What can happen?
As you probably know, nonstrategic or tactical nuclear weapons are incredibly strong and lethal and are created for battlefield usage. They’re designed to be able to quickly erase specific targets, such as training centers or military bases.
Even though they can be less severe than strategic nuclear weapons that can erase entire cities from the map, the use of these strong weapons would represent a severe escalation in the conflict and raise worries about coming into direct conflict with the West.
In June 2024, Vladimir Putin stated that Russia’s nuclear doctrine was a “living instrument” that could be changed depending on different factors. However, as sources say, the political leader signaled his willingness to change the conditions in which such strong weaponry could be used.
He then added that it’s crucial to clarify the terms “use” and “non-use” of nuclear weapons and the particular circumstances under which they can be employed. There is a nuclear doctrine that lays everything out. It makes it very clear that the use of nuclear weapons is limited to extraordinary situations in which the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are in severe danger.
During the same forum in June, Vladimir Putin added that he doesn’t believe the moment to use nuclear weapons has come, but Russian officials are closely monitoring developments in the world, especially regarding his country’s security, and they don’t exclude the possibility to use the weapons in extreme cases.
Let’s discuss the incursion urgency
Russia has been speaking about Putin’s new nuclear law since August, when Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, his deputy, and the Kremlin’s spokesperson all mentioned that they will announce changes pretty soon.
Since the popular conflict took a different turn in the summer of 2024, analysts are afraid NATO won’t be able to put an end to it, which will force Russia to use nuclear weapons. We hope that nuclear weapons won’t be a necessity, especially since we live in a modern world where everything, including huge political issues, can be solved diplomatically.
If you have any questions regarding Putin’s new nuclear law, feel free to leave them in the comments below, and we’ll answer them in a new article. If you want to understand nuclear law better, here’s a good book for you! Until next time, here’s another interesting post for you to check out: Before You Vote, Remember That Trump Did THIS as President
