Russia warns Western actions push global stability to “edge of abyss”

(MENAFN) A senior Russian diplomat cautioned on Monday that Western actions have pushed global strategic stability to the “edge of an abyss,” raising the risk of uncontrolled escalation and a potential direct conflict between Russia and NATO.

Speaking at the Moscow-based Valdai International Discussion Club, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said steps taken by Western countries in late 2024 and early 2025 significantly heightened tensions, increasing the likelihood of a direct Russia–NATO confrontation. He warned that such a clash between nuclear powers could have catastrophic consequences.

Ryabkov criticized what he called the former Biden administration’s focus on achieving a “strategic defeat” for Russia, asserting that this approach was backed by several European NATO members, including the UK and France. He said these policies contributed to “pre-war psychosis” in Europe and prompted large-scale remilitarization programs justified by the perceived Russian threat.

Rejecting claims that Moscow intends to attack NATO or EU countries, Ryabkov said, “Russia does not pursue the aggressive goals attributed to our country,” citing President Vladimir Putin’s statements that Moscow is willing to formalize security guarantees through legal means.

He also condemned what he described as an “obsession” in EU capitals with the threat of a Russian attack, arguing that some European states are deliberately blocking rapprochement between Russia and the US on resolving the Ukraine conflict. Ryabkov added that even if US policy becomes more balanced, hostile actions by European countries keep the risk of a Russia–NATO confrontation high.

Addressing speculation about potential flashpoints like the Suwalki Gap along the Polish-Lithuanian border, he dismissed talk of an imminent Russian attack as a “cheap and primitive provocation,” urging the public not to give such narratives attention.

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