The threat of a world nuclear war is growing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

"Such a threat is growing, to be sure," he said. According to him, Russia views weapons of mass destruction as a defense. "Regarding the fact that Russia will not use the first under any circumstances. But if it does not use the first under any circumstances, it means that it will not use the second either, because the possibilities of use in the case of a nuclear strike on our territory, are very limited. Nevertheless, our defense strategy, namely as a defense we consider weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, it is all set up around the so-called reciprocal strike - that is, when a strike is launched against us, we strike back," he added.

According to him, U.S. nuclear weapons are located in large numbers on the European continent. "We have not and are not handing over our nuclear weapons to anyone, but of course we will defend our allies with every means at our disposal if necessary," he said.

"We are not crazy, we are aware of what nuclear weapons are. We have these means, we have them in a more advanced and modern form than any nuclear country, that's obvious. Putin assured that Russia does not intend to use these weapons like a razor, running around the world. "Of course, we proceed from the fact that it exists. It is a natural deterrent, not provoking to the expansion of conflicts, but a deterrent, and I hope everyone understands this," Putin concluded.