Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would only use nuclear weapons in response to an attack. "We consider weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, as a means of defense," he said. Russia's strategy is based on a policy of "so-called retaliation," Putin assured on Wednesday.

Asked by a journalist for a more detailed explanation of these statements, the Kremlin boss said on Friday at the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union in Bishkek: "The USA has the concept of a preventive strike." Perhaps Moscow should "adopt the US ideas in order to guarantee its own security". At the same time, the Kremlin boss added: "We're just thinking about it at the moment."