MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. The West's underestimation of the possibility Russia may use nuclear weapons may entail fatal consequences, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at the Primakov Readings forum.

"The current situation, indeed, has no easy solutions and no easy way out. Of course, our Western adversaries' underestimation of Russia's readiness to defend itself and ensure its own interests in any situation is risky. I do not even want to speculate that this underestimation may turn out to be tragic, even fatal," Ryabkov said.

"For now, it is true that those who have made careers in the Western camp, who specialize in provoking, let's say, the elders to take an increasingly tough and, let’s stay, boorish standoff with a nuclear power - these personalities and the ideologists of the West’s total domination in the world - have created an illusion of complete impunity," Ryabkov pointed out. "There are different ways of responding to this. Some are rhetorical, and others, practical."

He is certain that Russia has the resource to convey signals to the West in the sphere of nuclear deterrence even despite its opponents' reluctance to conduct a sober dialogue.

"I believe that we have a resource that allows us to do it, to drive the message home even though the other side lacks the readiness to conduct a clear and sober dialogue, like the one we had in the past," he said. "But there is a danger. It should not be underestimated. One country can make a mistake. We will try to prevent it."

The Primakov Readings forum was first held in 2015. The conference has since acquired the status of an authoritative platform for discussing international relations scenarios, challenges to international security, and new models of interaction by world policy actors. TASS is the forum’s general media partner.