Moscow is warning that, under the worst-case scenarios, an attack on Russia’s territorial integrity could lead to the use of nuclear weapons, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Ryabkov stressed that any assault on Russia’s territorial integrity by an aggressor could, in the most adverse scenarios, result in the use of nuclear weapons.

“As far as we are concerned, the hypothetical extreme circumstances under which the use of these weapons is possible are described with complete clarity in the military doctrine of the Russian Federation and in the fundamental principles of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence,” Ryabkov stated.

“In simpler terms, the message of those documents is that any assault against Russia and its territorial integrity by aggressors, including even those who may not themselves possess nuclear weapons, could, under the worst possible scenarios, lead to a response on our part involving the use of these means,” the Russian official added.

Moscow Seeks to Stabilize Relations With Washington

At the same time, Ryabkov said Moscow is seeking to stabilize and improve its relations with the United States before the next American presidential election.

“Our task at this moment is to make use of the time remaining until the next presidential election so that our relations with the U.S. can move forward, stabilize, and return to normalcy,” he said.

The deputy foreign minister added that Moscow wants bilateral relations to reach a point where any future progress will be “extremely difficult to reverse.”

Earlier, Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov had announced that a U.S. delegation would participate in SPIEF for the first time in several years.