British defense minister: Lavrov’s statements about World War III are boastful

British Defense Secretary James Heappey has dismissed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statements about a possible World War III as a bluff. Heappey does not think there is “an imminent threat of escalation in Ukraine at this time,” he said in a BBC TV broadcast on Tuesday, according to Reuters news agency.

Lavrov said earlier on Tuesday that the risk of a new world war is real and that other countries should not underestimate the risks of a nuclear conflict. NATO would also be in a proxy war with Russia due to arms supplies by member states to Ukraine. Heappey called statements “boastful” and said these kinds of claims are the trademark of the Russian minister. “Everything the West is doing to support Ukraine has been carefully considered to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia,” Heappey said.