Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes that the lack of dialogue between the Russian military and NATO is aggravating the tensions.
"We will be ready for larger-scale provocations too. But our answer is very simple – if they talk to us through the media, we will respond through the media too, but specifically and in a correct manner," the Russian top diplomat said, answering questions from RT France, Paris Match and Le Figaro.
Lavrov said a third world war is an unimaginable scenario, noting that "everybody would be sane enough not to let it happen."However, an aggravating factor is the absence of any dialogue between the Russian military and NATO.
The minister said that tensions are still high between the two sides. "Thank God, there were no casualties, but what if it would have landed on Russian soil? Everything is so close there," RT cited Lavrov as saying.
The minister stressed that it all comes as the US is updating its nuclear doctrine. "They’re creating low-power nuclear weapons with a clear intent to potentially use them in combat," he noted.
"The toxic political climate in European capitals and Washington makes mending ties extremely hard," the diplomat said. While the European Commission remains "trapped" by countries opposing reconciliation with Russia, the American elites are also fueling tensions. “I think it’s silly to remain hostages to the whim of American lawmakers," Lavrov said.
