Putin's Nuclear Doctrine and the Changing Arms Control Landscape

 

 President Vladimir Putin has updated Russia's nuclear doctrine, indicating that the use of American weapons against Russian territory may lead to a nuclear confrontation with the United States. Russia possesses around 5,500 nuclear warheads, outnumbering the U.S., though the U.S. has thousands as well. However, what's critical is the number of deployed nuclear weapons, which stands at about 700 for Russia and around 500 for the U.S. Both nations have nuclear weapons on a Triad system—land-based ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), submarines, and aircraft capable of launching nuclear warheads. Approximately 1,700 warheads are currently deployed, with both countries being within 150 of each other in this regard.

These weapons are capable of reaching each other's territories, with ICBMs having a range of over 6,000 miles. The flight paths of these missiles would travel over the North Pole, and they can hit major targets in either country within 20 minutes. The nuclear arsenals of both nations can obliterate each other multiple times over, and this dynamic has remained largely unchanged for 50 years despite modernizations. However, the significant shift has been the erosion of arms control agreements that were once in place since the 1960s, fostering predictability in global security. With the disintegration of these frameworks, President Putin's rhetoric has become more dangerous and unpredictable compared to a year ago.