The Kremlin on Monday said it favored a "balanced approach" to the issue of nuclear weapons, not based on emotion, after a key ally of President Vladimir Putin called over the weekend for Russia to use a "low-yield nuclear weapon" in Ukraine.
Asked about the comments by Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Chechnya region, who also criticized Russia's military leadership over battlefield setbacks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had the right to voice his opinion, but that Russia's military approach should not be driven by emotions.
Peskov said the basis for any use of nuclear weapons was set down in Russia's nuclear doctrine.