MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for not forgetting the danger posed by the destructive weapons that world powers possess today, and for preventing their use.

At a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club he reminded that the more uncompromising the confrontation, the higher the risk of it escalating to the most severe phase, because "if a gun is hanging on the wall at the beginning of the play, it must inevitably fire by the end."

He pointed out that today’s world powers possess weapons capable of "destroying all life," and no one can guarantee that these weapons will never be used.

"We all know the famous saying: if a gun is hanging on the wall at the beginning of the play, it must fire by the end," the Russian leader reminded. "We must keep this in mind and avoid it."

Moreover, Putin continued, "the more uncompromising the confrontation, the more openly the goal of strategically defeating the enemy is stated, the higher the chance that the battle will escalate to the most brutal phase. The law of the struggle for survival applies not only in the natural world but also in social communities, if they are faced with the prospect of losing their independence, dignity, and even the right to exist."