Ex-Russian general warns of ‘last war’

SALISBURY: Retired military man says West’s actions could provoke a major conflict

The fallout from the Salisbury poisoning could lead to the “last war in the history of mankind”, a retired Russian general has warned.

Relations between Russia and the West could become “worse” than the Cold War and “end up in a very, very bad outcome” following the nerve agent attack, Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinsky said.

Responding to arguments that many countries across the world believed the Kremlin was responsible for last month’s attack, Mr Buzhinsky, who now heads an international security think tank the PIR Center, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Please, when you say the world, you mean EU and United States and some other countries ... you see it’s a cold war, it’s worse than the Cold War because if the situation will develop in the way this (is) now, I’m afraid that it will end up in a very, very bad outcome.”

Asked to spell out what this would mean, he said: “A real war, worse than a cold war is a real war, it will be the last war in the history of mankind.”

He added: “You’re saying that the pressure will continue, what are you going achieve? If you are going to achieve (the) regime change, it’s useless, you don’t know Russians. The more external pressure (there) is, the more the society is consolidated around the president.”

Explaining how the situation could escalate, Mr Buzhinksy accused the West of “cornering” Russia which he argued was a “very dangerous thing”.

He continued: “You don’t want to discuss, you say Russia should change its behaviour, it’s not the kind of talk, it’s not the kind of compromise we need.

“Actually you are cornering Russia and to corner Russia is a very dangerous thing.”

Asked about other countries not believing the Kremlin’s comments about the Salisbury poisoning, Mr Buzhinksy branded it “such a nonsense”, arguing that in this crime Russian President Vladimir Putin “is the last guy to benefit”.

His comments came as Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused the UK of “putting all decency aside” over its claims that Moscow is to blame for the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “As the Prime Minister has made clear, the UK would much rather have in Russia a constructive partner ready to play by the rules.

“But this attack in Salisbury was part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behaviour, as well as a new and dangerous phase in Russian activity within the Continent and beyond.

“As the Prime Minister has said, we must face the facts, and the challenge of Russia is one that will endure for years to come.”

Picture: REX/Shutterstock. Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with Novichok.