JAKARTA - The United States intelligence chief believes Russia will not use its current nuclear weapons, although a number of state officials say the use of nuclear weapons is very likely if needed.
"It is highly unlikely, according to our current assessment," US National Intelligence Director Avril Haines told the Senate Armed Forces Committee.
However, Haines did not elaborate on the assessment of the US intelligence community regarding the use of the nuclear weapons.
It is known that nuclear tensions between Russia and the United States have escalated since the start of the conflict with Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin repeatedly warning Russia is ready to use its nuclear arsenal if needed, to maintain its "territorial integrity."
In February, President Putin announced Russia was suspending its participation in the New START agreement, the last remaining nuclear weapons pact with the United States, which limits the number of strategic warheads that can be used by each party.
US officials for months said they saw no signs Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons, but also warned that they remained vigilant.
Last month, a top US diplomat publicly said Washington and its NATO allies should remain vigilant against signs President Putin could use tactical nuclear weapons in an escalation of his "controlled" war in Ukraine.
Separately, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Putin's announcement on March 25 that Russia was preparing to place a tactical nuclear weapon in a neighboring Belarus "is its attempt to use this threat in a controlled manner."
However, there is also a guarantee of nuclear control from Moscow. Last week, the Kremlin played down the idea that Russia might be preparing to conduct nuclear weapons tests, saying all nuclear countries adhered to a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.
However, last week, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow did not rule out using nuclear weapons first if there was a threat of aggression.
"You've said Russia would never use nuclear weapons first. But, that's not really the case," Medvedev commented on a statement from one of the participants, reported by TASS.
The former Russian president then quoted paragraph 19 of Russia's nuclear doctrine.
"It is stated explicitly that nuclear weapons can be used when aggression is carried out against Russia with the use of other types of weapons that endanger the existence of the country. Basically, the use of nuclear weapons in response to such actions. Our potential enemy should not underestimate this," he stressed.
According to him, speculation that Russia would never use nuclear weapons or simply scare everyone with nuclear weapons is not worth paying attention to.
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"I can tell you as someone who knows. I can tell you frankly: If you have a weapon in your hands - and as a former president, I know what it's like - you have to be ready to use it in certain situations, no matter how terrifying and brutal it is. All of these factors should not be underestimated by our potential enemies, the countries we now call enemies," he said.
It is known, under its nuclear doctrine, Russia could use nuclear weapons if the enemy used these weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction against it or its allies under three conditions.
First, if there is reliable information about the launch of ballistic missile attacks against Russia and its allies. Second, if the enemy attacks a very important facility for retaliatory action by its nuclear forces. Third, in the case of aggression against Russia with conventional weapons that endanger the existence of the state.
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