Long-Term Tensions: Russia Signals Extended Confrontation with U.S.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warns that Russia must brace for a prolonged standoff with the U.S. amid escalating tensions over Ukraine. The ongoing conflict, likened to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, sees Russia issuing stern warnings to prevent an underestimation of its resolve.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated on Tuesday that Russia must prepare for an extended period of confrontation with the United States, sending repeated warnings to Washington amid deteriorating relations.

The 2-1/2-year-old Ukraine conflict has sparked the most severe standoff between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, which brought the superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. The situation is escalating to what Russian officials describe as the most perilous phase yet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been urging Western allies to allow Ukraine to deploy longer-range missiles into Russia to curtail Moscow's attack capabilities.

Ryabkov, overseeing arms control and U.S. relations, noted the 'bipartisan anti-Russian consensus' in America and underscored the need for Russia to prepare for prolonged confrontation. 'We are sending all the warning signals to our opponent so that it does not underestimate our determination,' Ryabkov emphasized. Last week, President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia might resort to nuclear weapons if struck with conventional missiles and would treat attacks supported by a nuclear power as joint assaults.

(With inputs from agencies.)