Nuclear risk during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that the Ukraine conflict is escalating into a global confrontation, accusing the United States and Britain of enabling Ukraine to attack Russian territory with their weapons. He warned that Moscow could retaliate against those who supply arms used against Russia.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin delivers a televised address to the nation at the Kremlin in Moscow on Nov. 21, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the conflict in Ukraine had characteristics of a "global" war and did not rule out strikes on Western countries.

Kiev accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile attack at Ukraine for the first time on Thursday but without a nuclear warhead in a new escalation of the conflict.

Ukraine said the missile had targeted the central city of Dnipro, while the Kremlin said it was doing everything possible to avoid a nuclear conflict but did not confirm it had deployed the weapon.

FILE - This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Russian Mobile launchers of Iskander short-range nuclear-capable missiles during a military exercise at a training ground in Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

The West and Russia appear to be “sleepwalking” in the field of Ukraine, where, after 1,000 days of war, the escalation brings the nuclear threat to the forefront as openly as it has not been seen since the end of the Cold War.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Russia had to take steps to protect itself, after being asked about Russia lowering the threshold for a nuclear strike, adding NATO should review the Russian statement carefully.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing for broader use of nuclear weapons, renewing a decree he originally signed in June 2020.

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.

In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, a Russian Uragan self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian positions from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

The Kremlin accused U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday of escalating the 1,000-day-old war in Ukraine, promising a "palpable" response to any use of U.S. long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia.