Putin says Russia could use nuclear weapons but has 'no need to'

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia could "theoretically" use nuclear weapons if there was a threat to its territorial integrity or existence, but that it did not need to.

He was speaking at the plenary session of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"Nuclear weapons have been made to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word and the existence of the Russian state, but we... have no such need (to use them)," Putin said.