Russia Regularly Warns West That Direct Nuclear Powers Clash Unacceptable: Lavrov

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The policy of the US and NATO towards an actual military confrontation with Russia is fraught with catastrophic consequences, and Moscow is forced to regularly send warning signals to Washington and Brussels about the unacceptability of a direct clash between nuclear powers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"In the context of the West's efforts to contain Russia, the general policy of the United States and NATO towards an actual military confrontation with us poses a serious threat. Obviously, this is fraught with a direct clash of nuclear powers with catastrophic consequences. We are forced to regularly send our warning signals on this matter. But instead of taking them seriously, the West maliciously distorts them and accuses us of using 'threat rhetoric," Lavrov said in a video message to the participants of the Moscow Conference on Nonproliferation.

Lavrov also draw the attention to the fact that the absence of Russia-US dialogue on global security issues can cause an "avalanche" of additional risks.

"We regret to note that at present, strategic dialogue between Russia and the United States, the countries that have the largest nuclear arsenals and bear special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, is kept frozen by Washington... It is clear that without negotiations to maintain strategic stability, existing problems will accumulate. This is fraught with an avalanche-like increase in risks," the top diplomat said.

The minister noted that the five-year-extension of the new START treaty was "the last tangible result" of joint efforts in the framework of the dialogue on global stability and security.

In November, Lavrov called on the US and its allies to avoid any type of military conflict, including a conflict with conventional weapons, since any clash between nuclear powers can lead to unpredictable developments and an uncontrolled escalation.

Moscow and Washington have maintained that a nuclear war should never be waged as it cannot be won.

US 'Not Ready' to Work Constructively With North Korea to Settle Crisis

The United States is not ready to take steps toward constructive dialogue with North Korea to settle the ongoing crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Due to the unwillingness of the US to take practical constructive steps toward Pyongyang, there has been no progress in resolving the situation on the Korean Peninsula," Lavrov told the participants of the Moscow Conference on Nonproliferation.

Last month, North Korea launched what was identified as a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, also known as "monster rocket" capable of reaching the US mainland. The South Korean military reported that the missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and reached an altitude of 6,100 kilometers at a maximum speed of Mach 22, which is 22 times faster than the speed of sound. According to Japanese officials, the missile fell about 200 kilometers west of Hokkaido's Oshima Island, within Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The new launch came a day after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan and warned the US and its allies that Pyongyang would respond proportionally to Washington's bolstering of extended deterrence.

North Korea has conducted dozens of missile test launches since the start of 2022, several missiles at once on some occasions. On November 2, North Korea launched more than 20 short-range missiles. Pyongyang has said that North Korea's military-related activities are in response to provocations by the US, South Korea and Japan.

Russia Urges US to Lift Illegal Sanctions Against Iran at Earliest

Russia urges the United States to lift all illegal sanctions against Iran as soon as possible and irreversibly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"Washington has not given up on the policy of 'maximum pressure' in relation to the nuclear deal with Iran. We strongly urge the American side to lift all illegal sanctions against Iran as soon as possible and irreversibly and ensure the strict implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231," Lavrov said.

Such a move would pave the way for Tehran's reciprocal "defrosting" of its voluntary commitments under the nuclear deal, the minister added.