Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has warned that Moscow may resort to "stronger military measures" in Ukraine if Western nations, particularly the United States, continue pressuring Russia.
"The risks are very high and growing, which is deeply concerning," Ryabkov said in a December 4 interview in Moscow. He added that current geopolitical tensions are unprecedented, even "at the height of the Cold War."
He stated that there is "no magical solution" to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and accused the West, especially the U.S., of lacking foresight and underestimating Russia’s determination to safeguard its core national security interests.
U.S. Military Support Escalates
The warning comes as the United States announced a $725 million security assistance package for Ukraine on December 3, aimed at putting Kyiv "in the strongest possible position" as Russia intensifies its attacks. The Biden administration has just weeks left to utilize nearly $7 billion from a larger aid package approved earlier this year, supporting Ukraine in its nearly three-year-long conflict with Russia.
Deputy Minister Ryabkov cautioned against underestimating the risks of military escalation in Ukraine, emphasizing that future developments depend entirely on decisions made in Washington.
"There will come a point where we have no choice but to resort to stronger military measures," Ryabkov warned, though he noted that such escalation is not imminent. "But the trend is heading in that direction," he said.
Potential Escalation
Ryabkov affirmed that Russia would respond to any "provocations" from the outgoing Biden administration and "assert its strong will." Moscow has previously threatened further missile strikes on Ukraine, referencing the Oreshnik ballistic missile, which Russia first deployed during a November assault targeting Kyiv's critical energy infrastructure.
Ryabkov clarified that Oreshnik is "not a strategic ballistic missile but an intermediate-range missile tested in combat." He attributed its development to the 2019 decision by then-President Donald Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a decades-old arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow. "Without Trump’s decision, we wouldn’t have Oreshnik, and our ability to develop such weapons would be constrained," Ryabkov said.
Russia's Stance on Peace Talks
Ryabkov indicated that Russia has not engaged directly with President-elect Trump regarding his claim that he could end the Ukraine conflict "in a single day."
"We will be open to ideas when they are presented, but not at the expense of our national interests," Ryabkov stated.
When asked about the potential for peace negotiations with Ukraine, he underscored that the positions of the two nations remain incompatible.
"The chances for compromise at this moment are zero," he said. "When those in Kyiv begin to understand that Russia will not follow the path they desire, opportunities for dialogue will emerge."
(According to CNN, AFP, Reuters)
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