MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has warned that Ukraine's attempt to retake Crimea would be reason enough for Russia to use any weapons, including those provided for by its nuclear doctrine.
"As far as some serious offensives involving an attempt to retake Crimea are concerned, it is absolutely clear that this will serve as a basis for the use of all means of protection, including those provided for by the basic doctrine of nuclear deterrence, when the use of any types of weapons against Russia poses a threat to the existence of the state as such," Medvedev said in an interview with Russian media, including TASS, as well as uses of the VKontakte social media network. He explained that "an attempt to split off part of the state would be tantamount to an encroachment on the existence of the state itself."
"Therefore, draw your own conclusions: there are obvious grounds for using any weapons. Absolutely any," Medvedev warned. "I hope our 'friends' across the ocean realize this."
At the same time, Medvedev believes that Ukraine's statements about the "retaking" of Crimea were mostly propaganda.
"All sorts of statements about retaking Crimea or something else… You see, this is propaganda and it should be treated as such. You always see it in times of war," he explained.