MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. Possession of nuclear weapons in the context of deterrence is today the only possible response to some significant external threats to Russia's security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the the International Affairs journal.

"Indeed, much has been said recently about the role of nuclear weapons in Russia's foreign policy. I would like to remind you that the conditions for their possible use on our part are set out in doctrinal documents. It is important to understand them: Russia's state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence is exclusively defensive," he pointed out, "It is aimed at maintaining the potential of nuclear forces at the minimum level necessary for the guaranteed defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, preventing aggression against Russia and its allies."

"In the context of deterrence, the possession of nuclear weapons is today the only possible response to some significant external threats to the security of our country," the top Russian diplomat pointed out.

Lavrov noted that the development of the situation around Ukraine confirms the validity of Russia's concerns in this area. "Having flagrantly violated the principle of the indivisibility of security, NATO - an organization that, let me remind you, proclaimed itself a nuclear alliance - has bet on Russia's 'strategic defeat'. Our forced reaction to protect our external security contour was used by the 'collective West' as a pretext to move to a fierce confrontation using a hybrid arsenal of means," he noted.

According to the top Russian diplomat, the great danger in connection with the Ukrainian conflict is that by escalating the situation, the United States and NATO countries run the risk of finding themselves in a situation of a direct armed clash between nuclear powers. "We believe that such a development of events must and can be prevented. That is why we must remind of the existence of high military-political risks and send sobering signals to our opponents," Lavrov emphasized.