Russia will only use nuclear weapons in Ukraine if it faces an “existential threat,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN International on Tuesday.
“We have an internal security doctrine, and it is public, you can read in it all the reasons for the use of nuclear weapons,” he said. “If it is an existential threat to our country, then it can be used in accordance with our doctrine,” Peskov stated.
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CNN International journalist Christiane Amanpour asked the Kremlin spokesman if he was “convinced” that Russian President Vladimir Putin, a person close to him, would not use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
The Russian army is facing fierce resistance, which it had not anticipated, from Ukrainian forces since it invaded the country on February 24.
According to the Pentagon, the Ukrainian army, which maintains control of the main urban centers, has recently even been able to carry out counter-offensives that have allowed it to recover ground, especially in the south.
Military experts believe that the Russian military suffers from logistical and communication problems.
