Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Medvedev: Russia does not seek to use nuclear weapons

According to RIA Novosti, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia could use nuclear weapons if necessary, but no one in Russia's leadership wanted to do this.

“Speaking about Moscow's use of nuclear weapons, Mr. Medvedev stressed that this is natural when necessary, despite the fact that we are not trying to achieve this,” Al Arabiya TV channel quoted excerpts from an exclusive interview with Mr. Medvedev.

There are no “stupid people” in Russia’s leadership, the deputy chairman of the Security Council added, stressing that the threshold for using nuclear weapons has been lowered in line with new principles of nuclear deterrence.

Mr. Medvedev also reiterated in an interview with the TV channel that the conflict in Ukraine could end as soon as NATO stopped pushing for war.

Instead, he said, the Oreshnik ballistic missile would change the course of action in Ukraine.

Referring to the possibility of ending the conflict in Ukraine, Mr. Medvedev said that Moscow sees in US President-elect Donald Trump a pragmatic person, and capable of ending the war.

The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council also stressed in a conversation with Al Arabiya that “Moscow does not count on Trump or anyone else,” noting that Russia relies only on its own forces and defense capabilities and “we will win the conflict in Ukraine.”

According to Mr. Medvedev, incumbent US President Joe Biden will leave President-elect Donald Trump a "difficult legacy" related to the Ukraine conflict.