Kremlin Says Russia Is Starting To Revise Its Nuclear Doctrine

Dmitry Peskov. (Source: Valentina Pevtcova/Roscongress via Kremlin.ru)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday Russia had begun updating its nuclear doctrine, citing President Vladimir Putin's previous statement.

"President Putin has said work is underway to adapt the doctrine to the current reality," Peskov said at a news conference, without elaborating.

Earlier, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Sunday Moscow could reduce decision-making times set out in the official policy for the use of nuclear weapons, if they believed threats were increasing.

Last month, President Putin said Russia might change its official nuclear doctrine, which stipulates conditions under which such weapons can be used.

Most recently, during a visit to Vietnam last week, President Putin said Moscow was considering possible changes to its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons.

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.

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.

Upon his return from a visit to North Korea and Vietnam, President Putin at a ceremony at the Kremlin on Friday said 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.

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

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