MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. Russia reserves the right to ensure its national security by all available means in case of an imminent aggression against it, Vladimir Yermakov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department, told TASS in an interview.
The new Russian Foreign Policy Concept, approved by a decree of the country’s president Vladimir Putin, stipulates that "the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation can address, in particular, the tasks of repelling and preventing an armed attack on Russia and (or) its allies". The diplomat was asked to clarify what kind of weapons, according to this provision of the concept, Russia could use to prevent an attack.
"When resolving interstate contradictions and conflicts, Russia, as before, will first of all seek a peaceful settlement of the situation, through diplomacy and negotiations. However, if the non-military means are exhausted and aggression against us is inevitable, we reserve the right to ensure our national security by all available means," Yermakov said.
"As for the hypothetical use of nuclear weapons for defense purposes, we continue to be strictly guided by the principled approaches enshrined in our military doctrine and the Russian president’s Executive Order on Basic Principles of State Policy [of the Russian Federation] on Nuclear Deterrence," the diplomat pointed out.