Russian Foreign Minister warns of nuclear escalation risks in Ukraine

Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned of nuclear escalation risks in Ukraine, while reaffirming that his country remains open to dialogue.

In an interview video released Friday by American reporter Tucker Carlson on X, Lavrov discussed Russia-US relations, the Ukraine crisis, and the broader geopolitical landscape.

Lavrov expressed grave concerns over certain rhetoric by some officials in the Pentagon and NATO about potential limited nuclear strikes on Russia without getting US territories involved in nuclear conflicts, emphasising that any such actions could spiral into uncontrollable escalation, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Russia’s military doctrine says that the most important thing is to avoid a nuclear war,” the Foreign Minister said, referring to the Joint Statement of the leaders of the five Nuclear-Weapon States in January 2022, which stated that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”

He reiterated Russia’s long-standing opposition to NATO’s eastward expansion, blaming the West for ignoring Russia’s security concerns.

Lavrov urged US policymakers to abandon the so-called ‘rules-based order’ that prioritises US dominance over multilateralism.

Russia remains open to dialogue under equitable terms, he added.

IANS