Russia's Nuclear Doctrine Update

Russia's updated nuclear doctrine raises the stakes in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, particularly after the U.S. granted Ukraine permission to strike deeper into Russian territory. This doctrine asserts that Moscow will view aggression from any non-nuclear state, supported by a nuclear power, as a joint attack, thereby lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. Despite heightened rhetoric, experts suggest that such declarations may primarily serve as a bluff to manipulate international reactions rather than signal an imminent threat. Although Russia possesses the largest nuclear arsenal, actual deployment remains uncertain, characterized more as a strategic posturing than a defined operational policy.