RYABKOV: GROWING RISK OF DIRECT CONFLICT BETWEEN RUSSIA AND NATO

MOSCOW, MAY 19 /SRNA/ - The risk of a direct conflict between Russia and NATO is growing, and the consequences could be catastrophic, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Ryabkov told TASS that European countries are increasingly talking about the "threat of a high-intensity war" with Russia.

"As a result of this escalation of tensions, including obviously provocative actions in the nuclear sphere, strategic risks are growing, as is the danger of a direct conflict between NATO and our country, with all the potentially catastrophic consequences that would follow," Ryabkov said.