Sergey Ryabkov made the remarks on the sidelines of the seminar “Strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime” in Bishkek.
"The response measures that we had to take, which included the important aspect of protecting the external security contour on the western axis, have been used by our adversaries as a pretext to start putting military pressure on Russia," he continued as he warned that "this pressure has been dangerously balancing on the edge of a direct military conflict between nuclear powers," TASS reported.
The senior Russian diplomat also lamented that the NATO allies "chose to pursue a non-stop malicious expansion and efforts toward military and geopolitical absorption of territories in the zone of Russia’s essential interests in an assertive way." "Meanwhile, today’s crisis is far from being resolved and is posing a major risk of further escalation," Ryabkov concluded.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ryabkov said that the supply of depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine is a criminal act by the United States.
Earlier on Wednesday, the United States announced that it will provide depleted uranium tank ammunition to Ukraine as part of a $175 million aid package.
SKH/PR