Kremlin Warns of Potential Nuclear Response if Kyiv Deploys Western-Made Missiles

The Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that Moscow's revised nuclear doctrine stipulates the possibility of a nuclear response if Kyiv uses Western-made missiles against Russia.

"The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against it or the Republic of Belarus, … with the use of conventional weapons, in a way that poses a critical threat to their sovereignty and (or) territorial integrity," Peskov said on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree to approve Russia's updated nuclear doctrine, according to Xinhua news agency. The spokesperson further said that Russia would view the use of Western non-nuclear missiles by Ukraine as an attack by a non-nuclear state with the support of a nuclear state against the country, hence possibly justifying Moscow's use of nuclear weapons.

There are also nuclear states," Peskov said. "The doctrine outlines that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state will be regarded as a joint attack.".