MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. Russia’s vital interests are already at threat, that is why the special military operation is conducted, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday.

"They are already at threat. Russia’s vital interests are already endangered. That is why the special military operation is conducted to defend Donbass, to demilitarize the Ukrainian armed forces and to denazify that country," he said in an interview with France’s LCI television channel.

According to Medvedev, Russia would have never launched this operation if there were no threat to its interests."

"Until a certain time, it was possible to do without this operation. And we held talks with the Ukrainians, at least we tried to hold some talks, and with the Europeans, and with the United States of America. But these talks ended in nothing. No one heard us," he said, adding that Ukraine relied only on the West’s help. "Whereas the Americans and the European said they could not guarantee Ukraine’s non-participation in NATO in the future, citing their policy of open doors as a reason," he noted.