"The only thing that stops our enemies today is the understanding that Russia will be guided by [the doctrine] on nuclear deterrence. And if there is a real threat, we will act," Medvedev wrote in his article published on Sunday night – noting that in such a grim scenario there will be nobody left to argue about whether that was "a retaliatory strike or a preventive one."

"Therefore, the Western world is balancing between a burning desire to maximally humiliate, dismember and destroy Russia, on the one hand, and the desire to avoid a nuclear apocalypse, on the other," he explained.

Until Russia receives the security guarantees it has demanded, the world "will continue to teeter on the brink of World War III and nuclear catastrophe," Medvedev wrote, noting that Moscow is doing and will continue to do "everything we can to prevent it."

Last December, Russia presented a list of security proposals to the US and NATO, among other things urging the West to impose a ban on Ukraine entering the military bloc, while insisting that NATO should retreat to its borders of 1997, before it began to expand.

After the US and NATO flatly refused, saying they would only be interested in limited strategic arms control talks, it became obvious that Moscow has "no one to talk to and nothing to negotiate about" with the West, Medvedev argued. And when in February "Ukrainian junkies announced their desire to revive their nuclear arsenal," Moscow had no other choice but to act, he added.

"Our world has changed, forever. And the main question remains… what kind of future begins today?" Medvedev wrote.

"New disarmament agreements are currently unrealistic and unnecessary," the Russian official reiterated. "The sooner the guarantees of maximum security that suit our country are received, the sooner the situation will normalize."