Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (Nov 19) signed a decree allowing Moscow to use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state, receiving backing from nuclear powers.

This contentious decree comes as the Russia-Ukraine conflict reaches the grim milestone of 1000 days of war and as the United States allowed Kyiv to use long-range missiles to strike military targets inside Russia.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in a statement said that Russia broadening its rules for the use of nuclear weapons was a "necessary" response to what the country considers Western threats to its security.

"It was necessary to bring our principles in line with the current situation," he told reporters shortly after the Russian President signed the decree easing the conditions under which Moscow would consider launching a nuclear attack.

In a clear message to the West and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree broadening the scope of Moscow using nuclear weapons on a non-nuclear state if it is supported by nuclear powers.

This decision comes on the 1,000th day of Russia invading Ukraine, after Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use its long-range missiles to strike deeper in Russian territory.

The Biden administration had made a significant policy change, allowing Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS missiles to strike targets inside Russia for the first time.

This decision came just two months before President Joe Biden hands over power to Donald Trump, who has expressed scepticism about US military aid to Ukraine.

The Kremlin vowed on Tuesday to defeat Ukraine, saying Western support for Kyiv would have no impact on the conflict and that western aid "cannot affect the outcome of our operation. It continues, and will be completed."

"The military operation against Kyiv continues," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He also said that aggression by a non-nuclear state with the participation of a nuclear state is considered as a joint attack referring to Ukraine and its Western backers. 

Peskov added that, Russia "has always viewed nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence," and that they would only be deployed if Russia feels "forced" to.

NATO chief has said that Putin must not 'get his way' in Ukraine. However only a month back, he had said that he does not see an imminent danger of nuclear weapons from Russia despite "reckless and irresponsible" from the country.

The nuclear doctrine will also be extended to Russia's close ally Belarus.

This reflects Putin's swiftness to force the West to back down while Russia continues its slow moving offence in Ukraine. 

According to a Bloomberg report, Ukrainian armed forces carried out their first strike in a border region within Russian territory with a ATACMS missile, RBC Ukraine reports, citing an official in the nation's military.

The war between Russia and Ukraine, the deadliest conflict Europe has seen since the World War II, marks its 1,000th day today. Over one million people have reportedly either died or have been grievously injured since the beginning of the war.

Amid the grim reality of the deadliest war of the 21st Century, cities, towns, and villages in Ukraine have been devastated and now lie in ruin. The loss of human life and material wealth keep mounting in a never-ending series of heartbreaking stories emerging from the war-torn country.

Both Russia and Ukraine have diminishing populations and have been struggling from even before the war. The staggering death count due to the war will thereby have far-reaching demographic implications for both nations.

Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass, citing Russia’s ministry of defence, has reported that the debris fell on a military facility in the Bryansk region. It said there was a small fire.

The ministry said it had shot down five of the missiles over the Bryansk region. The attack resulted in no casualties or damage, it said.

The claims have not been independently verified. Ukraine has not commented on the Russian reports, and there has been no confirmation from US or other allied powers

The Joe Biden administration had given Ukraine long sought after permission to use the longer-range missiles at targets in the neighbouring Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have staged an incursion and where Russia has deployed allied North Korean troops.

Overnight Ukrainian forces claimed to have successfully targeted a Russian logistics centre near the city of Karachev in Russia’s Bryansk region, causing multiple explosions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer on Tuesday held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Brazil G20 Summit, discussing trade relations, technology partnerships, and the extradition of fugitive Indian economic offenders, among other issues.

In their first meeting since Starmer assumed office in the UK, India pressed for the extradition of fugitive Indian businessmen like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, with PM Modi emphasising the importance of addressing the issue, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Another significant outcome of the discussions was the agreement to resume negotiations for an India-UK free trade pact, dispelling concerns about the Labour government's perceived unfavourable stance on the proposed deal.

“Both leaders underlined the importance of resuming the Free Trade Agreement negotiations at an early date and expressed confidence in the ability of the negotiating teams to address the remaining issues to mutual satisfaction, leading to a balanced, mutually beneficial and forward-looking Free Trade Agreement,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Starmer said the negotiations would be relaunched in the new year. The talks for the proposed FTA began in January 2022, and the two sides have held 14 rounds of discussions. However, several contentious issues remain unresolved.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would open two new consulates in Belfast and Manchester in the UK, “in light of growing bilateral economic and business relations.”

The two prime ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership, with a focus on the economy, trade, new and emerging technologies, research and innovation, green finance, and people-to-people contact, the government added.

India has been actively pursuing the extradition of economic offenders from the UK, particularly high-profile cases such as Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. Mallya is accused of defaulting on bank loans worth over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines. He has been living in the United Kingdom since March 2016 and has been trying to avoid extradition to India.

Nirav Modi, a fugitive diamond merchant, has been imprisoned in London for over five years. He lost his legal battle against extradition to face fraud and money laundering charges in India.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that his government would restart the trade talks with India following a bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi at the G20 summit in Brazil.

“Boosting trade abroad is essential to delivering a strong economy at home. The UK is committed to negotiating a trade deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” a statement issued by his office said.

It added that the UK will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a trade agreement, and deepen cooperation in areas like security, education, technology, and climate change.

Starmer said that a new trade deal with India will support jobs and prosperity in the UK.

“Boosting economic growth is key to improving living standards for working people,” the statement released by 10, Downing Street, quoted Starmer as saying after the bilateral meeting. “A new trade deal with India will support jobs and prosperity in the UK – and represent a step forward in our mission to deliver growth and opportunity across our country.”

A statement issued by PM Modi's office said that both leaders underlined the importance of resuming the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations as soon as possible.

They also expressed confidence in the ability of the negotiating teams, to address the remaining issues to mutual satisfaction, leading to a balanced, mutually beneficial and forward looking Free Trade Agreement.

Modi, who met Starmer for the first time since his assumption of office, describe the exchange with British PM as "extremely productive".

"For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK is of immense priority. In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation and technology," Modi said in a post on X.

India-UK FTA talks

Negotiations between the two nations stalled back in May after 14 rounds spanning two years, held up by elections first in India and then the UK. The strong personal relationship between Modi and Rishi Sunak, ex-UK PM, was seen as the best shot at getting an agreement signed, but it proved elusive.

Before talks went on ice, people close to both negotiating teams told Bloomberg there were still hurdles to be overcome in goods, services and investment areas, suggesting Starmer will have his work cut out managing to find agreement.

Still, Starmer, who came to power in July, has said economic growth is his main goal in office. A trade agreement with India and closer economic ties with China are a part of meeting that objective.

The UK’s trading relationship with India was worth £42 billion in the 12 months to June 2024, Number 10 Downing Street said, with British exports accounting for about 40% of total commerce.

The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, which began in January 2022, aim to enhance economic ties by providing access to India's large and growing market, bypassing high tariff barriers. The agreement covers 26 chapters, including goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights.