Vladimir Putin said Russia may consider formally adding the possibility of a preventive nuclear first strike to disarm an opponent to its military doctrine, just days after warning that the risk of atomic war is rising.
“We’re thinking about this,” the Russian president told reporters after a summit in Kyrgyzstan. “If we are talking about a disarming strike, perhaps we should think about using the approaches of our American partners,” he said, citing what he called U.S. strategies to use high-accuracy missiles for a preventive strike.
The comments were Putin’s second on the nuclear issue this week. On Wednesday, he said the risk of atomic warfare is rising and called Russia’s arsenal “a deterrent factor” in conflicts. Russia’s doctrine currently envisions using nuclear weapons as a last resort in the event of a threat to the state’s existence.
The U.S. and its allies have denounced Putin for what they call nuclear saber-rattling over his invasion of Ukraine. Russia blames the West for raising the issue first, although Kremlin officials began the threats.
