On October 30, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu delivered a speech at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, China.
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| Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attends the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, China, October 30. (Source: AP) |
At the Xiangshan Forum, China’s largest annual military diplomacy event, Shoigu said Russia was ready to negotiate a post-conflict solution to the Ukraine crisis, while also seeking to “coexist” with the West.
In addition, the Russian Defense Minister also accused the West of seeking to expand the conflict in Ukraine to the Asia -Pacific region.
Claiming that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is covering up its military buildup in the region with a “desire for dialogue,” the official said that NATO countries are promoting an arms race and increasing their presence in the region, as well as increasing the frequency and scale of military exercises there.
He affirmed that Russia's cancellation of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty does not mean that this agreement will end and that Moscow is not lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons.
In addition, Minister Shoigu warned the West that escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions risked leading to “direct military conflict between nuclear powers.”
“The West’s steady escalation of the conflict with Russia leads to the risk of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which would have catastrophic consequences,” the Russian Defense Minister stressed.
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