Speaking at a defence forum in Beijing on Monday, Shoigu said that the Western approach of “steady escalation of the conflict with Russia carries the threat of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences”.

He also claimed that the West was waging a “hybrid war” against Russia, aiming to inflict a “strategic defeat” on it. He praised the model of Russia-China relations as “exemplary”, saying that they were based on mutual respect and cooperation. (ILKHA)