Hommam Al Nassim 
Andrei Kartapolov, Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian “Duma”, said on Sunday that Moscow may reconsider the timing of using nuclear weapons if the threats facing Russia increase.
Kartapolov said, in statements reported by the Russian Information Agency, that “if we see that challenges and threats are increasing, this means that we can correct something in the nuclear doctrine regarding the appropriate time to use nuclear weapons and the decision to use them,” and he added, “But of course, it is too early to talk about That is now,” according to Reuters.
The former general’s statements come after warnings issued by President Vladimir Putin that Moscow may change its nuclear doctrine, which determines the conditions under which these weapons can be used.
The 2020 Russian Nuclear Principles stipulate that the use of nuclear weapons could be carried out in response to an attack with nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, or conventional weapons when the state’s existence is threatened.
Putin also indicated that Russia might conduct a nuclear test, if necessary, although he does not see a need for that at the present time.
In a related context, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed that Russia has not changed its nuclear doctrine yet, but he warned that Western escalation policies may force Moscow to improve its nuclear deterrence measures.
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