Putin's ally says West risks global war by backing Ukraine Reuters

Sergei Chemezov, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and CEO of the state-owned Rostec Corporation, has issued a stark warning that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine could escalate into a global war if the United States and its Western allies continue to support Kyiv's military efforts.

His comments, made in an interview with Reuters, provide a rare glimpse into the perspectives within Putin’s inner circle following a recent Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Chemezov, whose corporation supplies a significant portion of Russia's military equipment, emphasized that Russia remains confident in its capabilities more than two years into what the Kremlin officially terms its "special military operation" (SVO) in Ukraine. He reiterated the Kremlin's longstanding assertion that the conflict is not merely a localized war but a broader confrontation between the West, led by the United States, and Russia.

"In a situation where the West, led by the United States, provokes war, we must be ready," Chemezov stated in his written responses. "The third year of the special operation is under way – Russia feels confident."

Chemezov accused the United States of exacerbating the conflict by providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry and tacit support for strikes deep into Russian territory, including the recent attack on the Kursk region. He warned that such actions could have dire consequences, potentially drawing the entire world into a larger conflict. "The further it goes, the greater the risk that the world will be drawn into a global conflict. It looks strange, but Western countries do not seem to understand just how fraught this is for them."

The West, however, rejects Moscow's narrative, viewing the conflict as an unprovoked aggression by Russia aimed at seizing Ukrainian territory. Western governments have consistently denied any direct involvement in Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil, including the recent Kursk incident. Instead, they accuse Russia of fueling the war through its actions and rhetoric.

While Putin has vowed a "worthy" response to the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region, the specific nature of this response remains unclear.