Senior Russian Diplomat Sees Risks of Direct Armed Clash Between Nuclear Powers as High

Sergey Ryabkov also said Western opponents deliberately make unacceptable conditions for security talks with Moscow

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/TASS

© Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/TASS

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. The risks of a direct armed clash between nuclear powers are currently high, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

"We have come to the conclusion that the risks of a direct armed clash between nuclear powers are now high," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Primakov Readings conference.

Ryabkov also said Western opponents deliberately make unacceptable conditions for security talks with Moscow.

"We have come to the conclusion that we need to think about what's next and how to reduce to a minimum the risks of a direct clash. A professional conversation on this issue should be continued. Unfortunately, our opponents officially put forward deliberately unacceptable conditions for such a dialogue," he said.

According to the diplomat, the West is proposing to forget about its hostile policy toward Russia and return to dialogue in those formats, as it was before the current crisis in relations between Russia and the collective West.

"It can’t be like that. I think that the political science community and also officials in the West still, deep down, in their deep state, understand that it is correct to put the question this way and it is impossible for us to compromise fundamental security interests in the conditions of a direct and intense conflict in which the West is involved," Ryabkov said.

Primakov Readings were first held in 2015. The forum has acquired the status of an authoritative platform for the discussion of scenarios for the development of international relations, challenges to international security, and new models of interaction between the constituents of world politics. TASS is the general media partner of the conference.