Moscow: According to a senior Russian diplomat quoted by the TASS news agency on Tuesday, the likelihood of a direct military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed superpowers, Russia and the United States, is steadily increasing.

The head of nuclear non-proliferation for the foreign ministry, Vladimir Yermakov, told the Russian state news agency that Washington is raising the risks through its interactions with Moscow.

Since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine 14 months ago, Moscow has regularly accused the US and what it refers to as "the collective West" of inciting nuclear war in an effort to scare away Kyiv's allies.

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The fate of START (the nuclear arms treaty) "may be a foregone conclusion if the United States continues to follow its current course of confrontation with Russia, with the stakes constantly escalating on the verge of sliding into direct armed conflict," Yermakov said.

US response to Russia's suspension of New START treaty participation
In response to Moscow's decision to suspend its participation in the New START treaty, the US informed Russia in March that it will stop exchanging some information on its nuclear forces.

The TASS interview excerpts that have been released so far from Yermakov's interview do not go into detail about the alleged confrontational strategy of the US.

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The danger of nuclear escalation as a result of a direct military conflict between nuclear powers, according to Yermakov, poses the greatest threat in the world right now. To our deepest regret, these risks are only increasing.

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The West's potential involvement in the US anti-missile system's global expansion, which "clearly undermines strategic stability," will be evaluated by Moscow and Beijing, he continued.