Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US Won’t Adjust Posture After Putin Lowers Nuclear Threshold

The US sees no reason to adjust its nuclear posture in response to Russia’s decision to lower the threshold for using atomic weapons, a National Security Council spokesperson said.

The Russian decision wasn’t a surprise and is more of the same irresponsible rhetoric the country has used since invading Ukraine, according to the spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The spokesperson’s comments came after President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing Russia to fire nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack on its soil that threatens its sovereignty, including by drones. That was in response to a US decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles provided by the US to strike Russian territory.

The US declined to confirm Tuesday that Ukraine had fired ATACMS missiles into Russia, referring questions to the Ukrainians.