Lukashenko claims Russian nuclear realignment was long overdue

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, in a comment to a Russian reporter, said that recent changes to Russia's nuclear weapons policy were long overdue and would likely "cool the ardor" of Western nations.

In a video published on Oct. 13, Lukashenko noted that "hotheads" in the West had already noticed nuclear signals from Moscow even before President Vladimir Putin announced the policy changes last month.

On Sept. 25, Putin expanded the scenarios that could trigger a Russian nuclear response, including reliable intelligence of a large-scale cross-border attack involving aircraft, missiles, or drones. He also emphasized that any attack on Russia backed by a nuclear power would be treated as a joint assault.

The Kremlin’s move was a direct response to discussions in the U.S. and U.K. about allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied long-range conventional missiles.

"This doctrine should have been renewed long ago," Lukashenko remarked. Last year, he agreed with Putin to station Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. He warned that without Putin’s earlier nuclear signals, "Western missiles would already be bombing us, especially Russia."

Ukraine has condemned Russia's nuclear posture as blackmail, with President Volodymyr Zelensky urging Western leaders to ignore Putin's "red lines." Moscow insists that its warnings are genuine. Putin warned that if the U.S. and its allies approve Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles, they will be directly engaging in the war against Russia.

Opinion: Is Russia’s new nuclear doctrine a game of bluff or a shift in strategy?

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a seemingly significant modification of Russia’s military doctrine in a statement on Sept. 25. He revealed that the new doctrine would propose considering aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state, “with the participation or support of a nuclear stat…

The Kyiv IndependentAndreas Umland