NATO urged to rethink nuclear strategy amid Putin's threat
In a conversation with the Polish Press Agency, Robert Pszczel, a diplomat and negotiator instrumental in Poland's entry into NATO, emphasized that the Alliance should respond to Vladimir Putin's decisions by modifying its nuclear doctrine, including expanding the Nuclear Sharing program.
Vladimir Putin has approved a new Russian nuclear doctrine, which states that a "critical threat" to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belarus and Russia could justify the use of nuclear weapons. Previously, only a threat to the state's existence could serve as a basis.
Robert Pszczel noted that the revised doctrine had been prepared earlier, with information surfacing in September. Now, in light of the U.S. administration's decision to allow Ukraine to use American missiles against targets deep in Russia, this fits into Russia's "narrative offensive" aimed at portraying American decisions as supposedly disrupting the order and posing "some imaginary threat to peace."
"This is evident nonsense," Pszczel stated.
The expert emphasized that the new doctrine is a propaganda element, where decisions regarding the use of nuclear weapons are made solely by the president. He pointed out that "Russia defines potential conditions under which it might consider using nuclear weapons so broadly that practically any circumstance could be interpreted as a pretext," which paradoxically lowers the credibility of this doctrine.
"If the threshold for weapons use is lowered to an absurd level, it paradoxically becomes less credible," assessed Pszczel, who believes that Russia's goal is to intimidate Ukraine and the countries supporting it.
Expert: NATO should also modify its nuclear doctrine
Pszczel stressed that NATO must take Russian nuclear potential seriously and closely monitor all indicators regarding the movement of nuclear weapons and their readiness levels.
When asked if the modification of the Russian doctrine could affect Ukraine's potential accession talks to NATO or the European Union, Pszczel responded that if this were to happen, it would be a strategic mistake. He noted that the credibility of military capabilities and the effectiveness of strategic communication are key to the Alliance's deterrence system.
He also pointed out the need to modernize NATO's doctrine and nuclear "posture" to increase its credibility. He suggested expanding the Nuclear Sharing program to allow greater participation of member states without nuclear weapons. However, he admitted that Washington lacks enthusiasm on this issue.
"We need to move faster in this direction, as potentially such a door has been opened," said the expert, acknowledging at the same time that there is no visible enthusiasm on the part of Washington, which is a key element.
Pszczel quoted Radosław Sikorski, who reminded that during the Cold War, NATO emphasized its nuclear weapons doctrine more due to the Warsaw Pact's advantage in conventional forces. Changes in the Russian doctrine indicate that Russia does not feel strong enough to threaten NATO's conventional potential in Europe realistically.
"The conclusion is simple—Russia under Putin behaves much more irresponsibly than the Soviet Union. Back then, the rhetoric regarding potential nuclear weapon use was more restrained, which shows how Putin's regime has become entangled," assessed Pszczel.
