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In escalation of rhetoric, Moscow cites 'real' risk of nuclear war
In a marked escalation of Russian rhetoric, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was asked on state television about the importance of avoiding World War Three and whether the current situation was comparable to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a briefing during a meeting with members of the Association of European Businesses (AEB) in Moscow on Oct. 31, 2017. (Agence France -Presse/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV )
M
oscow accused NATO of engaging in a proxy battle against Russia by arming Ukraine, saying this had created a serious and real risk of nuclear war.
In a marked escalation of Russian rhetoric, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was asked on state television about the importance of avoiding World War Three and whether the current situation was comparable to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
"The risks now are considerable," Lavrov said, according to the ministry's transcript of the interview.
"I would not want to elevate those risks artificially. Many would like that. The danger is serious, real. And we must not underestimate it," Lavrov said.
"NATO, in essence, is engaged in a war with Russia through a proxy and is arming that proxy. War means war."
Lavrov's remarks came as US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin was set to convene a meeting of more than 40 countries at a German air base to discuss arming Ukraine to help it fight off Russia's latest military assault in the east.
"The next several weeks will be very, very critical," Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told reporters traveling with him. "They need continued support in order to be successful on the battlefield. And that's really the purpose of this conference."
