Kremlin Spokesperson Says Western Agenda Triggers Changes In Russia's Nuclear Doctrine

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

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Washington's escalation of war in Ukraine and Western collective action required Russia to revise its nuclear doctrine.

Russia recently said it would make changes to policies that set the circumstances for the use of its nuclear weapons, but have not detailed the changes.

The existing nuclear doctrine, designated in President Vladimir Putin's debut in 2020, said Russia could use nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear strike by an enemy or conventional attack that threatens the country's existence.

The revision was made "with the background of challenges and threats posed by so-called collective Western countries", Peskov said.

Moscow mempertimbangkan kemungkinan Ukraina menggunakan senjata jarak jauh yang dipasok Amerika Serikat dalam serangannya jauh ke wilayah Rusia, tambahnya.

Ukraine itself has long urged its allies to allow it to fire Western weapons at targets deep within enemy territory.

The calls got louder along with Russia's increasing airstrikes against Ukraine's energy facilities and other infrastructure, as well as apartment blocks.

"It's clear that Ukraine will do this," the RIA news agency quoted Peskov as saying.

"We are considering all of this," he said.

Last June, Peskov said Russia had started updating its nuclear doctrine, citing what President Vladimir Putin had previously said.