THE Russian Federation will not initiate the use of nuclear weapons in its war against any nation, including the United States of America and its allies in the west, an official said.

Andrey Klimov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on International Affairs, told Asean journalists, including The Manila Times, in a virtual briefing on international cooperation and support of compatriots on April 29, 2022 (Manila time) that his country will not start a nuclear war unless provoked.