New Potential Crisis Arising From NATO Buildup on Russian Border Hard to Predict - Ryabkov

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The activities of the US and NATO close to Russia's borders suggest that the situation risks escalating to the level seen during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 (the Caribbean Crisis), and the consequences of such an escalation would be unpredictable, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Sputnik.

"NATO's plans to constantly approach our borders with its military infrastructure and various types of weapons, including the most modern and high-precision, long-range ones, are undoubtedly an alarming factor and an element of destabilisation of the situation not only on the European continent, but also on a broader scale in the Euro-Atlantic", Ryabkov said.

He emphasised that the closer NATO comes to Russia's borders, the higher the risk of destabilisation and the emergence of a new crisis that would be comparable to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

"In those years, politicians in Washington made the appropriate conclusions and the situation was stabilised …I cannot predict what will happen next time, if it comes to this", Ryabkov told Sputnik.

The official's remarks come as the US has repeatedly accused Russia of intending to invade neighbouring Ukraine with a 175,000-strong troop presence, claims that have been wholly rejected by Russian authorities.

In a recent call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden, the Russian chief underscored that forces deployed on Russian territory by no means pose a threat to anyone - especially Ukraine.