Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that possession of nuclear weapons protects Russia from security threats and Moscow keeps reminding the West of risks to prevent a conflict of nuclear powers, writes Reuters.

“The possession of nuclear arms is today the only possible response to some of significant external threats to security of our country”, - said Lavrov in an interview for state-owned magazine The International Affairs.

Last month, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would have to use a nuclear weapon if Ukraine"s counteroffensive against Russian troops was a success.

Lavrov said that the US and NATO allies risk ending up in “a situation of direct armed confrontation of nuclear powers”: “We believe such a development should be prevented. That"s why we have to remind about the existence of high military and political risks and send sobering signals to our opponents”.