Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said possession of nuclear weapons was Russia’s attempt to protect itself from security threats. In addition, Moscow also continues to remind the West of the risks to prevent nuclear powers conflict.
“Today’s possession of nuclear weapons is the only possible response to a number of significant external threats to the security of our country,” Lavrov said in an interview with the state-owned magazine The International Affairs, which appeared Saturday (19/8) morning on the website. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Last month, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow must use nuclear weapons if Ukraine was to launch a successful retaliatory strike against Russian troops.
Western countries provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine which is trying to take back territory unilaterally annexed by Russia since it invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
Lavrov said the United States (US) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) risked facing “a situation of direct armed confrontation between nuclear-weapon states.
“We believe such developments should be prevented. Therefore, we must warn about the existence of high political and military risks and send signals that wake up our opponents,” Lavrov said.
US President Joe Biden called Russia’s threat to use tactical nuclear weapons a real threat. Meanwhile, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said this week that the military alliance had not detected any changes in Russia’s nuclear forces.
Source : VOA News
