A British think tank has warned Russia would feel more confident to use nuclear weapons during clashes with Nato troops.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has warned the Kremlin would place an increased importance on its nuclear arsenal during a confrontation with Nato following military setbacks in Ukraine.
The IISS has warned that Russia believes the United States would lack the resolve to respond to any nuclear pressure.
It added the Kremlin may use non-strategic nuclear weapons, which are nuclear warheads that are designed to be used on the battlefield. They have a lower yield and and range than strategic nuclear warheads.
Vladimir Putin
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The IISS report read: "Knowing that the West is casualty and risk averse, Russia may seek to use enough non-strategic nuclear weapons to inflict damage preventing its own defeat, knowing that the US would be unwilling to cross the nuclear threshold in retaliation, and may be willing to terminate the conflict early."
There is concern among some western officials and analysts who estimate there is a high risk of Russia attacking a Nato member state if it is victorious in Ukraine.
As American weapons dry up amid a row in Congress about additional funding for Ukraine ahead of the Presidential election, Ukrainian forces are coming under increasing pressure.
Nuclear threats have made since the first day of the "special military operation" in Ukraine when Putin warned that western countries would face “consequences that you have never faced in your history” if they intervened.
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The Kremlin would place an increased importance on its nuclear arsenal during a confrontation with Nato if there were setbacks in Ukraine
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Russia’s nuclear doctrine lists four possible scenarios under which its government would use nuclear weapons against an adversary.
The first two are if Russia is attacked with nuclear missiles, or Moscow believes they have been launched against the country.
The third is if an enemy carries out attacks on military or state facilities to try to cripple Russia’s nuclear forces.
The fourth is if the existence of the Russian state is threatened, including by the use of conventional weapons.
The IISS report said: "This final scenario implies that in a conflict, if Russia’s conventional forces cannot hold back an attack from its national territory, it may use nuclear weapons on the battlefield to blunt its opponent’s forces and demonstrate resolve."
The IISS report was published as Polish prime minister Donald Tusk told President Zelensky of Ukraine that its fight against the Russian invasion was the world’s "front between good and evil."
Tusk said that Warsaw would increase its weapons supplies to Ukraine and hailed plans for Polish-Ukrainian arms production.