Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has said that many countries which had never seriously considered acquiring nuclear weapons are now reassessing that position, viewing such arms as a possible security guarantee.

Speaking at the opening of an international meeting of senior officials responsible for security issues, Shoigu pointed to the situation in the Middle East as an example. According to him, current events have pushed some states to consider whether they need nuclear capabilities of their own.

Shoigu also argued that the presence of a US military base on a country’s territory no longer guarantees protection from missile strikes. In his view, this has become one of the factors changing how states think about their security.

He said that deliberate steps are now being taken around the world that could undermine global strategic stability. According to Shoigu, countries of the world majority are being pushed toward joining a nuclear arms race.

Earlier, Shoigu claimed that France had set a course toward increasing the number of its nuclear warheads and had stopped publishing data on their quantity. He also said that Paris intends not only to conduct joint nuclear exercises, but also to deploy strategic weapons on the territory of its allies.

Shoigu further suggested that US nuclear weapons could soon appear in Australia as part of the AUKUS partnership.