[Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Warns: NATO's Hostile Actions Could Lead to Direct Conflict Between Nuclear Powers] On October 22nd, local time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated at a seminar titled "The History and Reality of Russian Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Public Diplomacy" that NATO's hostile actions could lead to direct conflict between nuclear powers. Ryabkov stated that the conditions for cooperation between Russia and the United States on nuclear non-proliferation currently do not exist. If the United States rejects Russia's proposal to continue adhering to the core restrictions of the New START Treaty for one year after its expiration, a complete vacuum in nuclear arms control will emerge, leading to tensions in nuclear security. Russia's proposal can only be effective if Russia and the United States cooperate, but it is time-limited.
