President Vladimir Putin has made an announcement of proposed changes to Russia’s rules around using nuclear weapons. These changes would enable Russia the opportunity to unleash nuclear weapons in the event that the country is attacked by “a non-nuclear state” with an existing alliance with a country that has nuclear weapons. Putin emphasized that such an action would be seen as a combined attack from both countries.
Ukraine is a non-nuclear state that has a military alliance with the US. While Ukraine was not explicitly mentioned in the declaration, Putin’s statements were still seen as both a threat, and as “nuclear blackmail” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak.
Putin spoke of these proposed changes with the justification of protecting the sovereignty of Russia. Interestingly, this occurred simultaneously with Kyiv’s proposal, which “[sought] approval to use long range western missiles against military sites in Russia.” Around the same time, Zelensky also sought an audience with U.S. President Joe Biden concerning his “victory plan” to successfully win the war.
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.