Putin Says Russia May Add Nuclear First Strike to Strategy
- Russian leader cites what he calls US preventive-strike idea
- Putin warned this week risk of nuclear conflict was rising
Vladimir Putin attends the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Dec. 9, 2022.
Photographer: Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
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 US strategies to use high-accuracy missiles for a preventive strike.