Andrey Kartapolov, head of Russia's National Defense Commission, said Russia could amend its nuclear doctrine if threats and challenges to the country continue to increase.
Mr.tapolov told RIA Novosti news agency on June 23 that any changes to the rules related to the use of nuclear weapons will depend on the international political and military situation.
"The nuclear doctrine reflects Russia's reaction to what is happening around our country. If we see that the challenges and threats are increasing, we can adjust the duration of the use of nuclear weapons, as well as the decision to use this type of weapon, said Mr. Kartapolov.
However, Mr. Kartapolov emphasized that it is too early to talk about any specific amendments.
Russia's current nuclear doctrine states that nuclear weapons can only be used if the country is attacked by weapons of mass destruction or if the country faces an existing threat from conventional war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently said Moscow is considering changing its nuclear doctrine. He explained that this was due to the West. According to President Putin, the West - a potential opponent of Russia - is trying to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, including the development of extremely low-performance nuclear equipment.
The president noted that there are opinions in the Western expert community that these weapons can be used and that there is nothing particularly terrible about them, so Russia must pay attention to this.
Mr. Putin emphasized that Russia does not need to attack first, because Russia's response will destroy any attackers.
Last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg revealed that members of the US-led military bloc are debating whether to deploy more nuclear weapons in the context of tensions with Russia over Ukraine. Mr. Stoltenberg emphasized that NATO must clearly communicate to the outside world that the organization has strong deterrent potential.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov accused the NATO chief of double standards, adding that Stoltenberg, who previously accused President Putin of nuclear Threat, was doing the same.
Mr. Peskov noted that the Russian President does not arbitrarily comment on nuclear weapons but only speaks when asked directly by journalists.
