The current international situation creates the risk of a direct military clash between Russia and NATO, which could quickly escalate into an exchange of nuclear strikes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated this in his article «Ukraine, Europe and Global Security,» published in the journal International Affairs.

Lavrov noted that Europe continues to pursue expansion: it is trying to entrench itself in Ukraine and Moldova, is drawing Armenia into its orbit, while NATO has already admitted Finland and Sweden. In his assessment, Ukraine is being viewed as the future strike force of European armed forces that they want to make autonomous from the United States and NATO.

The Russian foreign minister warned that this course poses serious risks to global security. According to him, a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia could rapidly turn into a nuclear exchange with catastrophic consequences.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also reported that Lavrov’s article had originally been planned for publication in the European outlet Politico Europe. However, at the last moment, the editorial board refused to publish it.