Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned on Wednesday that the United States and NATO’s aggressive policies, which are pushing for greater engagement in the Ukraine conflict, could potentially lead to a direct confrontation between nuclear powers.
“The greatest danger is that with the aggressive policies of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia in the Ukrainian conflict they have provoked themselves the US and NATO continue to raise the stakes and become drawn ever deeper into military confrontation,” Zakharova said as reported by state news agency TASS.

She stressed: “It is obvious that such a policy, which we qualify as reckless, is capable of leading to a direct armed clash between nuclear powers,” adding: “I think there is no need to explain once again the essence of the strategic risks that arise in this connection and the potentially catastrophic nature of further developments of events according to the worst-case scenario.”

Zakharova said that Russia was fully aware of the seriousness of the situation and “systematically sends sobering signals to the Western countries.”

The spokeswoman added: “The problem, however, is that the West is simply obsessed with anti-Russian hysteria and a total hybrid war against our country. It shows no willingness to adequately perceive our position.”

“The entire responsibility for the further degradation of the situation lies with the Western capitals. For our part we can only firmly reiterate that Russia is determined to defend its security interests and we would not recommend the West to doubt this.”

Zakharova’s comments come after President Vladimir Putin’s statement last week that Russia had placed the first Russian nuclear warheads in Belarus and the entire batch will be deployed by the end of the year. Putin also said Russia would use any and all means necessary if it faces a threat to its existence, in response to a question about the hypothetical use of nuclear weapons.

US President Joe Biden slammed on Monday Russia’s deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus, stating that the threat of Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is “real.”