Russia's Envoy to UN Says Possibility of WW3 Over Syria 'Unlikely'

Vitaly Churkin, Russia's envoy to the United Nations, hopes that the ongoing civil war in Syria would not lead to a global conflict involving Russia, NATO and other countries.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's envoy to the United Nations has expressed hope that the ongoing Syrian crisis would not lead to a global conflict nvolving Russia, NATO and other countries.

"I hope it will never happen. In my opinion, there are no clear signs indicating that it [the Syrian conflict] might lead to a global conflict, to the Third World War involving Russia, the Americans, NATO and so on and so forth," Churkin said in an interview with Russia's Kommersant newspaper. 

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the country's government fighting a so-called moderate opposition and numerous jihadist groups.