Russia never threatened anyone with nuclear weapons: Foreign Ministry

Russia never threatened anyone with nuclear weapons and Moscow's approach to the issue of the hypothetical use of nuclear weapons is based solely on the logic of deterrence, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

"The statements made one day before the Conference of the [TPNW] States Parties in the context of the Ukrainian conflict regarding 'mutual threats to use nuclear weapons,' as well as individual statements from the rostrum of the conference about Russia's alleged 'nuclear blackmail' cannot but arouse bewilderment. We emphasize again: no 'nuclear threats' have ever been and are not heard from Russia," the statement says.

According to Zakharova, "Russian approaches are based solely on the logic of deterrence, including in the current conditions, when the NATO countries that provoked the aggravation of the Ukrainian crisis and unleashed a hybrid campaign against Russia and proclaimed themselves a 'nuclear alliance' are dangerously balancing on the brink of a direct armed conflict."

"Whether someone likes it or not, as long as nuclear weapons exist, the logic of deterrence remains an effective way to prevent nuclear clashes and large-scale wars. Distortion for propaganda purposes of the essence of Russian policy in this area -- which is based on the postulate of the inadmissibility of nuclear war -- is absolutely unacceptable," she added.