Our text clearly states the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons. This lesson is made public, Russian President Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference on April 24 when asked to comment on Russias Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigus previous statement that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of a Western attack.
On November 19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving the revised nuclear doctrine, the Basic Principle in the State policy of the Russian Federation on nuclear deterrence. The core content of the document is that nuclear weapons can only be used when there are no other measures to protect national sovereignty.
Russia's revised nuclear doctrine expands the reach of countries and military alliances facing nuclear deterrence. The list of military threats that could use nuclear deterrence is also revised. An aggression from any non-nuclear state, with the participation or support of a nuclear-owned state, will be considered a joint attack on Russia.
Earlier, on the same day, April 24, in an interview with Russian state news agency TASS, Mr. Sergei Shoigu emphasized: Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of confrontation with the aggression of Western countries.
"In the event that foreign countries take hostile actions that threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, our country considers the application of appropriate and non-responsive measures necessary to prevent such actions and prevent the recurrence of such actions as legal," Shoigu said.
Shoigu served as Russian Defense Minister for more than a decade before moving to the Security Council Secretary in last year's government reform.
He cited the amendments to Russia's nuclear doctrine approved by President Vladimir Putin in November 2024. Under the new terms, Russia could consider a nuclear attack in response to a regular attack on Russia or its ally Belarus " posing a serious threat to sovereignty and/or territorial integrity".
According to Reuters, Mr. Shoigu's comments were made after US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance warned that Washington could abandon efforts to negotiate a peaceful solution in Ukraine if progress in this deal was not soon made.
