India, Jan. 26 -- The world may be entering a new phase of nuclear proliferation, driven less by ideology than by a widening sense of insecurity and the steady erosion of international arms control, according to Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's deputy chairman of the Security Council.

In an interview with the Kommersant, Medvedev warned that the existing global order is fracturing, forcing states to reconsider how they guarantee their sovereignty and survival.

"The nuclear club will expand, and many countries seeking to guarantee their independence may join," Medvedev said.

His remarks come at a moment of acute uncertainty for global security, as long-standing arms control mechanisms weaken and geopolitical tensions deepen. Russian officials ...