Photo: Russian nuclear weapons depot near Vologda (satellite image)
Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions to lower the threshold for a nuclear strike are “the latest example of the irresponsibility of the immoral Russian government,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesman said on Tuesday, November 19, according to Voice of America.
“It would be fair to say that this is the latest example of irresponsibility we have seen from the corrupt Russian government,” the prime minister's spokesman told reporters.
“We remain firmly behind Ukraine,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, global markets reacted to Moscow's move. U.S. stock index futures fell. Some U.S. defense stocks rose in premarket trading, as did an index of European aerospace and defense stocks that had earlier fallen 0.6%.
German government bond yields fell 8 basis points. Gold hit a session high of about $2,626 an ounce, while the dollar fell 0.9% to 153.28 against the yen.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Earlier on Tuesday, November 19, Vladimir Putin approved a new nuclear doctrine for the Russian Federation, lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. Now, one of the possible reasons for Russia to use it is considered to be an attack on it using conventional weapons by countries that do not possess a nuclear arsenal.
Putin signed a decree “On Approval of the Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence”, which was published on the state website of the Russian Federation and immediately entered into force.
According to experts, the biggest change compared to Moscow's previous nuclear doctrine is that Russia may consider launching a nuclear strike in response to an attack on it or Belarus that creates “a critical threat to their sovereignty and (or) territorial integrity”.
The previous doctrine, outlined in a 2020 Kremlin decree, said that Russia “may use nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear attack by an enemy” or a conventional attack, which “threatens the existence of the state.”.
Prepared by: Sergey Daga