Russian Security Doctrine Emphasizes Nuclear Arms

Russia unveiled its new national security doctrine Friday, broadening the Kremlin’s authority to use nuclear weapons and accusing the United States of trying to weaken Russia and become the world’s dominant power.

The doctrine replaces one adopted in 1997, a time when political and military partnership with the West were still buzzwords and many Russians were optimistic about the country’s economic future.

But Moscow’s attitude toward the West has hardened since the eastward expansion of NATO and the alliance’s intervention in Yugoslavia, and Russia’s economic reform efforts have suffered serious setbacks.

“The idea of partnership has vanished,” said Sergei Sorkut, a military affairs writer at the Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper, which published the doctrine.

The most significant change in the document, which takes up two full newspaper pages, concerns the use of Russia’s powerful nuclear arsenal. In a section called “Ensuring the National Security of Russia,” the new doctrine would allow the country’s leaders to use all existing forces “including nuclear weapons” to oppose any attack--nuclear or conventional--if other efforts fail to repel the aggressor.

The previous doctrine stated that Russia would use nuclear weapons only in cases when its national sovereignty was threatened.

Military experts say the shift was due to the tremendous weakness of Russia’s conventional forces.

After the publication of the document, the Russian military tried to play down the significance of the nuclear aspect.

“Moscow is interested in expanding cooperation with the West,” Col. Gen. Valery L. Manilov, first deputy chief of the General Staff, told the Interfax news agency.

But in Brussels, North Atlantic Treaty Organization officials who have seen the document described it as having a much more aggressive and confrontational tone than its predecessor. However, security experts have pointed out that the new emphasis on nuclear weapons sounds like NATO’s own doctrine.