Russia may use nuclear weapons if the West lifts the ban for Ukraine on missile strikes against Russian territory

After the increasing discussions in the West about lifting the ban on missile strikes against Russia, there has been renewed talk in Russia about lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons.

Russian political scientist Sergey Karaganov, who recently interviewed Vladimir Putin on this issue, called for the use of nuclear weapons in response to non-nuclear strikes on Russian territory.

“It is time to state that in response to any large-scale strikes on our territory, we have the right to respond with a nuclear strike. This also applies to any seizure of our territory,” he said in an interview with Kommersant.

According to him, the current doctrine and policy regarding the use of nuclear weapons are outdated and no longer serve their purpose, as they almost entirely rule out the use of such weapons. Karaganov called this policy “immoral” and urged for a revision of the doctrine.

“Russia has the duty to sharply intensify the nuclear factor in global politics and convince our adversaries that we are ready to use nuclear weapons in the event of any attacks on our territory or citizens,” Karaganov said.

He also suggested attacking European capitals in response to conventional strikes on Russia.

“If another drone flies to the Kremlin, why not strike the Reichstag with a conventional missile as a start? Let it burn,” he stated.

It is worth noting that Russia is currently preparing to amend its nuclear doctrine, which has been officially confirmed. However, when and how it will be changed remains unknown. It is possible that if the West authorizes the Ukrainian Armed Forces to carry out long-range strikes on Russia, this process could be accelerated.

Additionally, the Speaker of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, has already threatened to use “more powerful weapons” in response to potential long-range strikes on Russia, which likely refers to nuclear weapons, as Russia has already used all other types of conventional weapons in Ukraine.