MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Moscow does not seek to escalate the potential use of nuclear weapons, but no one should underestimate its resolve, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Rossiya-1’s "60 Minutes" program.

"We do not aim to escalate the risks of nuclear weapon usage as we strongly uphold the principle that there are no winners in a nuclear conflict," he emphasized.

"However, I would caution against testing our resolve and commitment to safeguarding our legitimate national interests by any means necessary," Lavrov underlined.

He remarked that Russian President Vladimir Putin had extensively addressed this matter during his combined year-end press conference and Q&A session on December 19, among other instances. "We trust that those who are attentive will listen, and those who are thoughtful will comprehend," Russia’s chief diplomat asserted.