Russian President Putin: We Will Develop Nuclear Weapons For Prevention And Balance Guarantees In The World

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Source: Kremlin)

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday Russia would continue to develop its nuclear arsenal, which is the largest in the world, as a deterrent and at the same time maintain a balance of power in the world.

President Putin conveyed this in the Kremlin at a ceremony attended by graduates of the military academy, police, and intelligence services.

"We plan to develop a further nuclear triad as a guarantee of strategic prevention and to maintain a balance of strength in the world," President Putin said.

Russia's nuclear engine is a reference for nuclear missiles launched from land, sea and air.

Yesterday, President Putin while in Vietnam said Moscow was considering possible changes to its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons.

He said this was driven by a change in view of nuclear use among Russian enemies.

The existing Russian doctrine states that Russia can use nuclear weapons in response to nuclear attacks or in terms of conventional attacks that pose an existential threat to the country.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, several aggressive Russian military analysts have recommended Moscow consider revising the stance, even launching a kind of nuclear strike that could "retire" its enemies in the West.

President Putin told reporters Russia was considering changing its doctrine because its potential enemies were working on "new elements" related to the decline in the threshold for nuclear use.

"Especially, very low-power explosive nuclear devices are being developed. And we know that there is an idea circulating among experts in the West that such a destruction method can be used," he said.

He said "no one was too bad" about this, but Russia needed to pay attention to it.