Russia "Provides 'nuclear umbrella' to former Soviet countries first"

Russia has promised to provide a "nuclear umbrella" first to members of the CSTO, a collective security treaty body led by Russia, a military security consultative body of former Soviet countries.

Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's National Security Council, told reporters at the CSTO Council of Foreign and Defense Ministers in Astana, Kazakhstan, that the recently revised nuclear use doctrine would provide nuclear umbrellas to allies, adding, "Of course, it means a CSTO member state first."

Shoigu said the revised nuclear doctrine has special details about Belarus, adding that it sets the standard for the use of nuclear weapons if Belarus is invaded by conventional weapons and poses a threat to its existence.

Shoigu stressed that the newly revised nuclear doctrine is clear and transparent and that Western countries should read it carefully and not misunderstand it.

On the 19th, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the revised nuclear doctrine.

The core of the revised nuclear doctrine is that even a non-nuclear state can retaliate with nuclear weapons by considering it a "joint attack" if it attacks Russia with the support of a nuclear state.

In fact, he pointed to Ukraine, which is supported by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.