Russian security chief links West to escalation in Ukraine, Middle East

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has issued a series of statements at an international security meeting, warning of what he described as Western-driven global instability, a rising risk of nuclear proliferation, and potential large-scale consequences from conflicts in the Middle East.

Speaking at a gathering of senior officials responsible for security matters held under the First International Forum on Security organized by Russia’s Security Council, Shoigu said Ukraine has been turned into a battlefield, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

He claimed that Western countries are attempting to influence states of the “global majority” in order to involve them in supplying weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.

Shoigu said that Ukraine has “turned into a battlefield,” where Russia is being “coordinatedly opposed by 56 foreign states,” adding that Western countries are seeking to expand the circle of arms suppliers for Kyiv by involving third countries.

He also said that technologies used by Western states are being used for what he described as the “large-scale ideological processing” of the Ukrainian population.

“Communication technologies used by the West for mass anti-Russian ideological processing of the population of Ukraine have put its existence at risk,” he said.

Shoigu further accused Ukraine of acting as a “conduit of Western neo-colonial policy” toward Africa, despite claims of developing cooperation with African states.

In addition, he said Ukrainian authorities are not interested in peace, arguing that a cessation of hostilities would force them to confront the consequences of the conflict, including demographic challenges. He added that part of the difficulty in resolving the situation is linked to external influence and a “lack of political will to end the conflict” in Kyiv.

“As soon as hostilities stop, the Kyiv authorities will have to deal with the consequences of their anti-Russian adventure,” Shoigu said.

Separately, Shoigu said that Western countries are driven by a desire to gain control over the resources of other states through external expansion.

“The countries of the Global South and East have long understood that the cause of unprecedented global tensions is the unrestricted pursuit by Western states of external expansion and control over the resources of other countries. This is what is now commonly referred to as modern manifestations of neo-colonialism,” Shoigu said.

He further warned that countries of the “global majority” are being pushed toward involvement in a new nuclear arms race.

Shoigu noted that many countries which previously did not consider acquiring nuclear weapons are increasingly coming to see them as a “sole security guarantee,” reflecting what he described as growing global instability and shifting approaches to strategic security.

He also criticized Western states, saying that a “troika” of countries is advancing initiatives on strategic stability while simultaneously increasing pressure on others. He said discussions about the possible deployment of French nuclear weapons in third countries are “categorically unacceptable.”

Shoigu additionally warned that further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East could lead to a large-scale environmental catastrophe with consequences extending far beyond the region.

He said potential destruction of infrastructure, including power plants and water treatment systems, could result in severe humanitarian consequences, mass migration, and increased cross-border threats such as crime and human trafficking.

The security chief added that if critical infrastructure is disabled, “tens of millions of people may be left without access to water and basic living conditions.”

By Vafa Guliyeva