Russian Ambassador to Latvia Rules Out Possible War Between Russia, NATO

Russian Ambassador to Latvia Alexander Veshnyakov ruled out on Thursday any possibility of an armed conflict breaking out between Russia and any country that is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), especially since it could lead to a nuclear war.

RIGA (Sputnik) — Any military conflict between Russia and NATO must be prevented as it could lead to the deployment of nuclear weapons, he stressed.

"I do not see any possibility of armed conflicts between Russia and any NATO member state or NATO as a whole. There's [the matter of] the nuclear weapon. On the one hand, it is an evil capable of destroying the world. On the other hand, as some experts say, this evil makes it possible to preserve peace since someone who wants to start a war understands that there will be no winners, so why unleash [war]," Veshnyakov told journalists.

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Alliance did not seek confrontation or a new Cold War with Russia, as it is looking for more constructive relations with Moscow.

Latvia has been a member of NATO since 2004. Russia has repeatedly warned that the increased NATO presence close to its borders is provocative and poses a threat to regional and international stability.