NEW YORK, March 2. /TASS/. Russia does not intend to use nuclear weapons over the situation in Ukraine, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said in an interview with the Maverick News portal aired on Wednesday.
"First and foremost, we have a nuclear doctrine. And it is said that we will not use this nuclear weapon first, it can be used only if there is an existential threat to Russia," he emphasized.
"This is something that we are not contemplating in terms of the situation in Ukraine," the diplomat noted, adding that using nuclear weapons makes no sense militarily. He pointed out that it remains to be seen how deeply NATO countries would be involved and how significant is the threat that Russia faces.
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.