A senior Russian diplomat told that the nuclear conflict between Russia and America is increasing.
Moscow:
The Tass news agency quoted a senior Russian diplomat as saying on Tuesday that the risks of a direct military confrontation between the two nuclear powers, Russia and the United States, are growing.
Vladimir Ermakov, the foreign ministry’s head of nuclear non-proliferation, told the Russian state news agency that Washington was increasing risks through its conduct with Moscow.
Since the start of its invasion of Ukraine 14 months ago, Moscow has issued regular accusations against the US and what it calls the “collective West” for raising the risk of nuclear war, rhetoric aimed at deterring Kiev’s allies.
“If the United States continues to follow its current course of confrontation with Russia, the stakes are constantly on the verge of slipping into direct armed conflict, then the fate of START (nuclear weapons treaty) may be a foregone conclusion,” Ermakov said.
The US told Russia in March that it would stop exchanging some data on its nuclear forces after Moscow refused to do so, in response to Russia’s suspended participation in the New START treaty.
Ermakov did not detail the alleged US confrontational approach in the excerpts of the TASS interview published so far.
“The most serious threat today is associated with the danger of nuclear escalation as a result of direct military confrontation between nuclear powers,” Ermakov said.
“And these risks, to deep regret, continue to increase.”
Moscow and Beijing will assess the West’s possible involvement in the global expansion of the US anti-missile system, which “clearly undermines strategic stability,” he said.
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