The presenter asked Kelin directly if Moscow was going to bet, to which the ambassador replied: “In this conflict? No, because we have a clear doctrine that describes specific cases in which nuclear weapons can be used.”
According to Kelin, these are several cases: if a nuclear attack is launched against Russia or if an attack with conventional weapons is so serious that it threatens the existence of Russia.
According to the Ambassador, the Ukrainian conflict does not fall into any of the categories.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that nuclear weapons are a means of defending the country, not an attack, so Moscow’s strategy is based on the logic of “mutual attack.” Putin also drew attention to the fact that, unlike the United States, Russia does not have nuclear weapons on the territory of other countries.
