ISTANBUL 

Russia on Sunday said that it will change its nuclear doctrine due to the West’s actions regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told state news agency TASS that work on the country’s nuclear doctrine is at an “advanced stage,” further saying that there is a “clear directive to make adjustments.”

According to Ryabkov, these adjustments are conditioned by the study and analysis of Russia’s experience of conflict in recent years, including “everything related to the escalation course of our Western opponents.”


Ryabkov further said the process of finalizing the document is currently underway, adding that it is too early to talk about specific deadlines for its completion “given that we are talking about the most important aspects of ensuring our national security.”


In 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined when Moscow could utilize its nuclear arsenal after signing an executive order on the Basic Principles of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence.


The doctrine allows Moscow to use nuclear weapons on the condition of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatens Russia's existence.