JAKARTA, October 6. /TASS/. The speaker of the upper house of Russia’s parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, criticized as the latest fake news on Thursday statements about the nuclear threat allegedly emanating from Russia.
"The West has already run out of arguments to discredit Russia, to escalate the blatant Russophobia around Russia and to scare the world with such a terrible Russia, so they have been circulating this false story about the nuclear threat emanating from Russia. That’s another lie, the latest fake news," she said at a G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit, when asked to comment on allegations by the foreign media that Russia could use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
"Never did Russia plan to threaten anyone with the use of nuclear weapons," she assured.
Russia views nukes as a tool of deterrence only, Matviyenko added. "The conditions were clearly spelled out when Russia could use nuclear weapons - to repel aggression or an attack or for self-protection," she noted.
Under Russia’s nuclear doctrine, the country can use nuclear arms if an adversary uses those or other weapons of mass destruction against it or its allies or when reliable information emerges about the launch of ballistic missiles to attack Russia or its allies. Also, Russia is allowed to use its nukes if an adversary impacts the necessary facilities for nuclear retaliation or in case of aggression against Russia with the use of conventional weapons, provided the very existence of the nation is jeopardized.