MOSCOW. May 24 (Interfax) - Russian Vice Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that a number of neighboring countries constitute a potential threat to Russia.

"We cannot fail to notice that the vast territories of Russia's neighbors have a potential for conflict, which impacts our security," the minister told journalists on Wednesday.

A nuclear conflict is unlikely, he said, adding that there are "a lot of threats" in comparison with which the threats of the Cold War "are baby talk." "There are global threats, though the threat of a hydrogen war, as it was commonly said in the times of the previous regime, is minimal," Ivanov said, adding that this did not mean that "we should all develop and build up our strategic forces."

There are regional, local and terrorist threats, among others, he said. Asked about a possible deployment of anti-missile systems near Russian borders, he said, "We know about such plans, these are mere plans with no details."

However, "We are seriously concerned about such plans and we will take them into consideration while planning the development of our armed forces," Ivanov said.