Vladimir Putin's ambiguous signaling about his atomic intentions so far in the Ukraine war took a more formal turn when he announced a loosening of Russia's nuclear doctrine. Putin did not mention Ukraine by name,

Russia "will not hesitate" to resume nuclear weapons testing if similar steps are taken by the United States, according to Sergei Ryabkov, the country's deputy foreign minister. According to Russia's TASS news agency,

Vladimir Putin escalated his nuclear threats against the West on Wednesday, saying that any attack on Russia using conventional weapons supported by a nuclear power would now be perceived as a joint strike.