"Russia, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a nuclear power, is fully aware of the responsibility to maintain international peace and security. Our state has always taken a constructive position and initiated work on new agreements. Even in the current uneasy conditions, we are putting our best efforts to remain within the legal framework and keep the necessary level of predictability and security," Gatilov told the UN Disarmament Conference.
Russia "does not exist in vacuum," therefore it must defend its national interests and respond to provocative actions by other states, which take openly hostile and aggressive stances toward Moscow, the diplomat added.
"By conducting a blatantly anti-Russian course, ill-wishers are attempting to rebuild the architecture of international security based on their rules, and make it serve their narrowly-grouped or individual interests, despite the hopes of the majority of the world community," Gatilov said.
Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the General Staff of the Russian armed forces had started preparations for exercises involving missile units of the Southern Military District, aviation, as well as naval forces. During the exercises, the Russian armed forces will practice a set of activities for the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, the ministry said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov linked the drills to the statements recently made by French President Emmanuel Macron, UK officials and a representative of the US Senate about the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.
The possible scenarios under which Russia could theoretically use nuclear weapons are outlined in the Russian nuclear doctrine. This is possible in the event of an attack against Russia or its allies using weapons of mass destruction or an attack with conventional weapons if the very existence of the country is threatened, according to the document.