Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally approved amendments to the country’s nuclear doctrine, following reports that the Biden administration will authorize Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russian territory. The Kremlin's stated aim is to make it clear to potential adversaries that any attack on Russia or its allies will trigger a decisive response. Moscow anticipates that Ukraine will use ATACMS missiles to target Russia’s Kursk region, where several thousand North Korean troops are currently stationed.

The proposed changes to the nuclear doctrine were originally put forward in September. They outlined that if a non-nuclear state engages in aggression against Russia with the involvement or backing of a nuclear state, Moscow would consider it a joint attack on Russian sovereignty. At that time, Putin also emphasized that Russia retains the right to deploy nuclear weapons in defense of Belarus if it faces aggression.