MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made an extremely irresponsible statement, speaking about the possibility of a direct clash between NATO and Russia in case of Ukraine’s defeat, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"This is yet another extremely irresponsible statement that we have hard in the recent days. We hear extremely irresponsible statements coming from a number of European capitals, and now [they come] from beyond the ocean as well. These statements lead to further escalation of tensions, even though there is hardly any space for escalation left," Peskov said.
"The most important thing is that [these statements] de facto demonstrate the NATO worldview. NATO considers Ukraine its own territory," the spokesman continued. "This once again underscores the absolute correctness of what Russia does, as well as the correctness and justification of the special military operation."
When asked if Austin’s remarks mean that there will be no negotiations on strategic stability between Russia and the US, Peskov noted that "Austin’s statement contained nothing on that matter."
Previously, Austin stated his certainty that "NATO will be in fight with Russia" in case of Ukraine’s defeat during the hearing in the US House Armed Services Committee.