International Business Times:
Russia will attack the West if provoked in Syria, the UK’s former ambassador in Moscow said, as he warned of “the most dangerous situation in our relations I have ever seen.” It comes with relations between the West and Russia at their worst point since the Cold War.
US Presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has backed imposing a “no fly zone” in Syria, where Russia is accused of deliberately bombing civilians, while Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of “problems” if the US continued its “confrontation” with Russia.
Sir Anthony Brenton, who served as Britain’s ambassador to Russia from 2004 to 2008, said that escalating tensions could result in open conflict with Russia.
“They are behaving as toughly and aggressively as I have ever seen them,” Brenton wrote in the Daily Mirror.
“If we act on Syria in any way that could escalate to a Russian attack, they are signalling as clearly as they can that they would retaliate.”
In recent weeks the US and UK have fiercely condemned Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria, accusing Russian forces of committing war crimes and deliberately targeting schools, hospitals, and an aid convoy. Moscow denied the claims.
