Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the risks of a direct armed conflict between nuclear powers are high today and have begun to increase significantly.

Ryabkov continued on the sidelines of the “Primakov Readings” forum: “We have reached the conclusion that the risks of direct armed conflict, including between nuclear powers, are high today.”

According to him, “the foundations of nuclear deterrence are laid in Russia on the basis of ensuring its security for decades to come.”

Ryabkov added: “As President (Vladimir Putin) has repeatedly said, such foundations have been created in recent years, primarily in the field of nuclear deterrence, which allows us to guarantee our security for decades to come,” according to the Russian news site Sputnik.

Sergei Ryabkov explained: “In general, I believe that we have the resources that allow us to do this so that the signal can be conveyed even in the absence of the other party’s desire to conduct a clear and sober dialogue as it was in the past,” noting that “the danger exists, and it cannot be underestimated, which is that it could One country may commit this mistake, and we will try to prevent it, pointing out at the same time that the current situation does not have easy solutions or easy exits. Our Western opponents underestimate Russia’s readiness to defend itself and guarantee its interests in any circumstance, so much so that we do not want to think about the possibility that this underestimation It can have tragic and deadly consequences,” according to the Russia Today news website.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Tuesday that the peace proposals put forward by Russia actually provide for ending the conflict in Ukraine.

 This statement came in Putin's speech to the participants, at the Tenth International Forum of Scientific Experts "Primakov Readings", in Moscow, and Putin said: "I hope, unlike many Western politicians who did not even want to delve into the essence of the initiative that we put forward, that the participants will address In the forum, they should study it thoughtfully and rationally, and be able to see that it truly provides the possibility of stopping the conflict and moving to its political and diplomatic settlement.”

Putin expressed his confidence that the forum participants will pay due attention to Russian ideas regarding the formation of a system of equal and indivisible security and mutually beneficial cooperation on the European and Asian continent.