Nuclear weapons are the only thing preventing humanity from sliding into a global war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, as he commented on the worsening state of international security.

While the civilization-ending power of atomic weapons still deters a global confrontation, regional conflicts continue to erupt and are becoming increasingly devastating, the Russian official said on Wednesday. Peskov made the remarks while moderating a panel discussion at the Primakov Readings in Moscow.

“Directly speaking, we have nothing left in the world except nuclear deterrence. It’s the only thing saving the world from a global war,” Peskov said of international security mechanisms.

“We don’t really have any levers to reach an agreement in this area,” he added. “We can’t even reform the United Nations Security Council.”

The stark assessment came during a debate on sweeping changes in international institutions and what kind of global order could emerge by 2050.

The current international security system was established after World War II, with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council playing a central role in maintaining global stability. The same countries – China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US – are also the only states recognized as nuclear powers under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Several other countries have acquired nuclear weapons outside that framework, including India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, though the latter neither confirms nor denies its status.

Critics argue that growing tensions between major powers have left the UN Security Council increasingly divided and less effective. Moscow has blamed the situation on Western efforts to preserve the unipolar world order that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union.