Russian FM warns of nuclear escalation risks in Ukraine: media

MOSCOW -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned of nuclear escalation risks in Ukraine, reaffirming that Russia remains open to dialogue.

In an interview video released Friday by American reporter Tucker Carlson on social media platform X, Lavrov discussed Russia-US relations, the Ukraine crisis, and the broader geopolitical landscape.

Lavrov expressed grave concerns over certain rhetoric by some officials in the Pentagon and NATO about potential limited nuclear strikes on Russia without getting US territories involved in nuclear conflicts, emphasizing that any such actions could spiral into uncontrollable escalation.

The foreign minister said "Russia's military doctrine says that the most important thing is to avoid a nuclear war," and referred to the Joint Statement of the leaders of the five Nuclear-Weapon States in January 2022, which stated that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."

He reiterated Russia's long-standing opposition to NATO's eastward expansion, blaming the West for ignoring Russia's security concerns.

Lavrov urged US policymakers to abandon the so-called "rules-based order" that prioritizes US dominance over multilateralism.

Russia remains open to dialogue under equitable terms, he added.