Russia plans to revise its nuclear weapons doctrine in response to what it perceives as escalating actions by the West in the Ukraine conflict, according to statements from Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov reported by state media. The current doctrine, established by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, allows for the use of nuclear weapons if Russia faces a nuclear attack or a conventional attack that threatens the state's existence. Ryabkov linked the planned revisions to the increasing involvement of Western nations in Ukraine, which Moscow views as a proxy war aimed at causing a "strategic defeat" for Russia and potentially fracturing the country.

The U.S. and its allies deny these accusations, stating that their support for Ukraine is aimed at helping the country defend itself against Russian aggression. Putin, from the onset of the invasion in February 2022, warned of unprecedented consequences for any interference, which has been interpreted by the West as a series of nuclear threats. Despite these warnings, the West has continued to increase military aid to Ukraine, including tanks, long-range missiles, and F-16 fighter jets—measures that would have seemed unimaginable at the start of the conflict.

Ukraine recently launched a significant incursion into Russia’s western border, challenging Putin’s previously stated "red lines." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described this operation as undermining Putin’s threats, while also lobbying for more advanced Western weapons to strike deep within Russia. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that the West was "going too far" and vowed that Russia would take all necessary steps to protect its interests.

While Ryabkov did not specify a timeline for the updated nuclear doctrine, he emphasized that the process involves critical aspects of national security. Russia, possessing the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, is reportedly prepared for the possibility of a nuclear war, though Putin has stated that there is no immediate need to resort to nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict.