World leaders and analysts expressed doubts Wednesday that the change to Russia's nuclear doctrine amounted to much more than a new and more intense effort to deter the West.

The Kremlin dictator has not been seen for 12 days, during which time he has been absent from escalating tensions with Ukraine and was also missing when his regime threatened to nuke the West.

U.S. President-elect Trump, who has vowed to swiftly end the conflict, is returning to the White House at a time of Russian ascendancy. Moscow controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.

Russia said it was ready to talk with US President-elect Donald Trump about a potential cease-fire with Ukraine, stoking speculation about how the conflict will eventually end even as it has intensified on all fronts.

Putin has ruled out any significant territorial concessions and demands that Kyiv abandon its NATO membership ambitions.