WW3 is TOP RISK for NEXT YEAR: Experts warn of war between Putin and the West in 2017
DEVASTATING conflict between Russia and Nato has been declared a major security risk for 2017.
By SIMON OSBORNE
Express.co.uk
Wed, Dec 14, 2016
Fears of armed confrontation between Vladimir Putin and the West have been stoked by a nosedive in relations between the former Cold War foes.
Russia’s role in the brutal assault of the Syrian city of Aleppo, in support of Bashar al-Assad’s ruthless regime, has caused outrage among the global community.
Moscow’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine is also a major cause for concern, particularly in the European Union, while the Kremlin also stands accusations of waging cyber-warfare on Western targets – including political and business interests in the US.
A Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) survey, conducted by foreign policy experts, placed confrontation between Russia and Nato allies alongside nuclear crisis with North Korea and a severe terrorist attack on the US.
The CFR’s Centre for Preventive Action (CPA), which conducted the survey, believes any escalation – intended or accidental – on the Russia-Nato border will stem “from assertive Russian behaviour in Eastern Europe” rather than provocation by Baltic Nato members, whether it be renewed force build-ups or mass-scale military exercises.
The likelihood of a North Korean nuclear crisis has been exacerbated by an escalation in intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing by Pyongyang, as well as a risk of internal conflict.
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