MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russia will change its nuclear doctrine based on the analysis of the latest conflicts and the West’s actions in regards to the special military operation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS.
"As we have repeatedly said before, the work is in the advanced stage, and there is a clear intent to introduce a correction [to the nuclear doctrine], caused, among other things, by the examination and analysis of development of recent conflicts, including, of course, everything connected to our Western adversaries’ escalation course in regards to the special military operation," the deputy minister said.
He explained that the corresponding document is being finalized, but it is too early to talk about a specific timeframe for its completion.
"The timeframe for its completion is a rather complicated issue, considering that we are talking about the most important aspect of our national security," Ryabkov noted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the Russian nuclear doctrine is a live document, which could be amended if necessary. Meanwhile, the Russian leader underscored that Moscow assumes that a nuclear exchange will never happen.
Previously, Ryabkov noted that the West’s actions raise the issue of updating the Russian nuclear doctrine in accordance with the current requirements. According to the senior diplomat, the foreign policy situation is being seriously escalated due to the actions of the US and its allies, and Moscow constantly analyses, how well its nuclear deterrence documents meet these challenges.
According to the 2020 nuclear doctrine, Russia may use its nuclear weapons, if an enemy uses this or other type of weapon of mass destruction against Russia or its allies, if a verified information about nuclear launches to attack Russia or its allies is received, if an enemy affects the facilities, necessary for a response nuclear action, and in case of a conventional aggression against Russia, if the very existence of the state is threatened.