MOSCOW: Discussion in the West about arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons is `absolutely irresponsible`, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, in response to a report in TheNew York Times citing unidentified officials who suggested such a possibility.

TheNew York Times reported last week that some unidentified Western officials had suggested US President Joe Biden could give Ukraine nuclear weapons before he leaves office.

`Several officials even suggested that Mr Biden could return nuclear weapons to Ukraine that were taken from it after the fall of the Soviet Union. That would be an instant and enormous deterrent.

But such a step would be complicated and have serious implications,` the newspaper wrote.Asked about the report, Peskov told reporters: `These are absolutely irresponsible arguments of people who have a poor understanding of reality and who do not feel a shred of responsibility when making such statements. We also note that all of these statements are anonymous.

Asked about the risk of a nuclear escalation, Peskov said the West should `listen carefully` to Putin and read Russia`s newly updated nuclear doctrine, which lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons.

Separately, Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin said Moscow opposes simply freezing the conflict in Ukraine because it needs a `solid and long-term peace` that resolves the core reasons for the crisis.

UK spy Russia said it was expelling a British diplomat on Tuesday for alleged spying, in the latest blow to the already dire state of relations between the two countries.

The FSB security service said thediplomat, whose photo was splashed across TV news bulletins, had intentionally provided false information when he entered the country.

`During counterintelligence work, the Russian Federal Security Service has discovered an undeclared British intelligence presence under the cover of the national embassy in Moscow,` it said.

`At the same time, the Russian FSB has discovered signs of the said diplomat conducting intelligence and subversive work that threatens the security of the Russian Federation,` it said in a statement. It named him as Edward Wilkes and said he was a second secretary, a relatively junior diplomatic ranlc.

There was no immediate comment from Britain`s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Of fice.

The TASS news agency cited Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zal(harova as saying that the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, a step that host governments often use to express a strong protest.-Agencies