Putin is the primary decision-maker on the use of Russia's nuclear arsenal. The doctrine said any attack by a non-nuclear power supported by a nuclear power would be considered a joint attack, and that any attack by one member of a military bloc would be considered an attack by the entire alliance, it said.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the Ukraine war was escalating towards a global conflict after the United States and Britain allowed Ukraine to hit Russia with their weapons, and warned the West that Moscow could strike back.

The war in Ukraine has reached a tense milestone as Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a new decree broadening the country’s nuclear policy. This move directly targets the United States, following President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russian territory,

A decree signed by the Russian leader, though long planned, came days after President Biden authorized the use of U.S.-supplied missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for his country's use of nuclear weapons Tuesday, after the U.S. allowed Ukraine to strike inside Russia using American missiles.

In an alarming move, Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally lowered the threshold for his country’s use of nuclear weapons, sending a message to Ukraine and the U.S. with the new terms of the doctrine.

Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from its southern Astrakhan region during a morning attack on Ukraine, Kyiv's air force said, the first time Russia has used such a powerful, long-range missile during the war.