Russian President Vladimir Putin announced changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for nuclear weapon use. He stated that any attack posing a “critical threat” to Russia’s sovereignty, even by a non-nuclear power with support from a nuclear power, would be considered a joint attack on Russia. This shift aims to deter the U.S. and its allies as Ukraine seeks NATO’s long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia. The new doctrine also applies to attacks on Belarus. Russia, with the largest nuclear arsenal, is responding to perceived growing threats from the West.