Russia has right to use of its army preventively in light of events around it — Kremlin

Aggressive developments around Russia make it necessary for Moscow to use the armed forces in a preventive manner, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media on Monday, while commenting on the adoption of the updated Foreign Policy Concept.

"Many countries, in the first place, the countries of the collective West, have widely resorted to the preventive use of their armed forces," Peskov stated. "The current developments, aggressive developments around us just make it necessary to reserve such a right as well."

He stressed that "the concept itself has been updated in the light of the new realities."

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an updated and revised concept of the country's foreign policy. The concept states that Russia can use its armed forces for self-defense or for preventing attack against itself or its allies.