Russian FM says West teetering on brink of direct nuclear conflict

Moscow, April 23 (IANS) The West is teetering on the brink of a direct military clash between nuclear powers with its support for Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.Such a tendency is "fraught with catastrophic consequences" and indicates "serious strategic risks," Lavrov added on Monday during a video message to a conference on nuclear non-proliferation in Moscow.He noted that the world is now experiencing a crisis in arms control, disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, Xinhua news agency reported. Lavrov called for joint efforts to build a renewed international security architecture based on the principles of multilateralism, equality and indivisibility.The Foreign Minister said Russia is ready to discuss ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty as soon as the US does the same.Russia revoked ratification of the treaty in November last year. Signed in 1996, the treaty is a multilateral agreement that bans all nuclear explosion tests conducted for peaceful or military purposes. Russia ratified the treaty in 2000, while the US has yet to ratify it.--IANSint/khz

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