Moscow Considers Changing Nuclear Doctrine; Putin Threatens Seoul

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, said on Thursday, June 21, that Moscow is considering a possible change to its nuclear weapons doctrine. The current doctrine states that Russia may use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack or in the event of a conventional attack that poses an existential threat to the country. According to Reuters, since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some hardliners among Russian military analysts have called for Moscow to reduce its conditions for the use of nuclear weapons. However, Putin stated that there is no need for a preemptive nuclear strike by Russia. He made these remarks a day after visiting nuclear-armed North Korea. On the same day, Putin threatened South Korea, stating that if South Korea decides to send weapons to Ukraine, it would be making a "big mistake," and Moscow would respond in a way that would be painful for Seoul. Putin made this statement during a press conference in Vietnam in response to a report from South Korea's Yonhap news agency, which indicated that following a bilateral defense pact signed between Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, South Korea is considering sending weapons to Ukraine. Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General, stated on Monday, June 19, to the British newspaper Daily Telegraph that the military alliance is negotiating to deploy more nuclear weapons, remove them from storage, and put them on standby in response to the increasing threats from Russia and China. He said, "NATO's goal is, of course, a world free of nuclear weapons. But as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China, and North Korea have nuclear weapons and NATO does not is a more dangerous world." Stoltenberg had stated last week that nuclear weapons are the "ultimate security guarantee" and a means to ensure peace. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that under difficult circumstances, Moscow could use nuclear weapons for self-defense and claimed that the billions of dollars in aid from the U.S. and its allies to Ukraine, which he has invaded, is pushing the world toward a nuclear confrontation. U.S. President Joe Biden stated this week in a meeting with Stoltenberg that since Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this Western defense alliance has acted more powerfully than ever in deterring Russia in Europe.