Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Image: Sputnik
Russia is not threatening anyone with nuclear weapons, but in connection with the Ukraine conflict, it is warning of the risks of a clash between nuclear powers that could have grave consequences, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
"Russia is not threatening anyone with nuclear weapons, and any claims to the contrary are nothing more than deliberate anti-Russian lies. We treat the policy in the area of nuclear deterrence with the utmost seriousness and responsibility," Zakharova said.
Russia is forced to warn about the risks of a direct military clash between nuclear powers and, accordingly, about its potentially grave consequences, as well as to send "specific sobering signals" in support of such warnings, the spokeswoman added.
Russia's doctrinal guidelines remain strictly defensive in nature and continue to outline quite strictly the extreme circumstances under which the country reserves the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons, Zakharova said.
"Russia's official statements on the aforementioned issues do not go beyond the scope of these guidelines and are fully consistent with our country's international obligations. This is not the language of threats, but the classic logic of containment," Zakharova added.
Sputnik