Ex-US intelligence officer calls escalation of Ukrainian conflict a dangerous game of the West

The West is playing a dangerous game by encouraging the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict. Former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter told Izvestia on November 21, commenting on the use of Storm Shadow missiles by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for strikes against Russia.

"This is a very dangerous game, because we are on a path where NATO will fulfill all the requirements to pose an existential threat to Russia, and that will trigger a Russian nuclear response <...> They are literally playing with the lives of the entire world," he emphasized.

However, Ritter noted that, unlike NATO and other "similar organizations," much of the world is concerned about the escalation resulting from British long-range Storm Shadow missile strikes deep inside Russia.

"I'm not sure the global reaction to this is positive. I think most of the world is still very concerned about the escalation that these strikes represent," the expert said.

Ritter specified that the escalation occurred because the West believed that Russia was "bluffing" about the nuclear doctrine changes.

"They said, 'Well, look, Russia has this doctrine.' And we've been putting pressure on Russia, and Russia's not doing anything. They're bluffing." They don't realize that Russia's doctrine didn't change until the president signed a decree, which happened yesterday," he summarized.

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Earlier, on November 20, Bloomberg reported that the AFU used Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory for the first time. According to the agency, the UK government gave Ukraine permission to use these long-range missiles in this way, but considers its own move as an escalation of the conflict. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to comment on the report.

Prior to that, on November 19, the Russian Defense Ministry said that calculations of S-400 air defense missile systems (SAMs) and Pantsir air defense missile and cannon system (SAM) had shot down five ATACMS missiles fired by the AFU in the Bryansk region and damaged another one. The wreckage of the latter fell on the territory of a military facility, which started a fire, but it was promptly extinguished. There were no casualties or damage.

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an updated Russian nuclear doctrine . Among the grounds for the use of such weapons by Russia in the document is a response to the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against the country and its allies. In addition, Russia may launch a nuclear strike if there is an attack against it or Belarus that threatens territorial integrity.

In his turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, responding to Izvestia's question, said that the strike carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with ATACMS missiles is a signal that the West wants to escalate the conflict.

Speaking to Izvestia, retired American Lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen called the strike another provocation and an attempt by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term of office expired on May 20, to please Western sponsors.

The AFU is trying to strike Russian territories against the background of the special operation in Donbass, the start of which was announced on February 24, 2022. The decision was taken due to the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.