Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu warned the West that the escalation of conflict with Russia in the Ukraine war threatens a “direct military clash between nuclear powers”.
“The Western line of steady escalation of the conflict with Russia carries the threat of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences,” Shoigu indicated at a defence forum in Beijing on Monday.
TASS also reported that Shoigu claimed the West intends to inflict “strategic defeat” on Russia in a “hybrid war“, and praised the model of Russia-China relations as “exemplary.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed strong criticism of Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza, stating that it violates international law and poses the risk of creating a long-lasting catastrophe.
In an interview with the Belarusian state news agency Belta, Lavrov conveyed Moscow’s disapproval, marking some of Russia’s most critical comments on Israel to date.
Lavrov emphasised the condemnation of terrorism but firmly disagreed with responding to it by violating international humanitarian law. He specifically pointed out the indiscriminate use of force against targets where civilians, including hostages, are known to be present.
He asserted that attempting to destroy Hamas, as Israel has declared its intention to do, would inevitably result in the destruction of Gaza and harm the majority of its civilian population.
Lavrov warned that if Gaza were to be destroyed and its two million inhabitants expelled, as proposed by some Israeli and international politicians, it would lead to a catastrophe lasting many decades, if not centuries.
