“In the context of growing tensions and the intensification of geopolitical rivalry in the world, the risks of a violent clash with the participation of nuclear powers are increasing,” the official stressed in exclusive statements to the TASS agency.
In Shoigu’s opinion, Western countries are unleashing an “ideological and value-based aggression” against Russia and Belarus, attacking not only with economic sanctions but also disrupting the national political situation. “There are constant attempts to destabilize the internal situation, undermine social foundations, and impose an alien neoliberal ideology,” he stressed, adding that such Western behavior affects not only Moscow and Minsk, but also negatively influences the international situation.
“We are seeing an active international structure devaluation, which is turning into political instruments. We see attempts to undermine international efforts to prevent a space arms race, which could turn space into a zone of military confrontation,” he said, arguing that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is actively increasing its military potential on the eastern flank of the bloc, close to the borders of the Russian-Belarusian Union State.
NATO “is constantly lowering the threshold of the use of nuclear weapons and strengthening the nuclear component in military planning,” Shoigu said, noting that the actions of the United States and its satellites have led to the degradation of arms control and mechanisms of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
“It is no secret that recent decades have been marked by a growth and expansion of the range of threats against the Union State and its members,” the former minister noted.
The US National Security Strategy and NATO Strategic Concept, updated in 2022, directly describe the need for a “comprehensive fight against Russia and its allies, perceived as serious security threats,” the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation highlighted.
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