Russia may face several decades of conflict and geopolitical confrontation, experts assumed on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), while discussing principal threats that the country faces during the second quarter of the 21st century.
During the session, titled "The Main Threats Facing Russia in the Second Quarter of the 21st Century," political analyst and Rosneft CEO adviser Andrei Bezrukov argued that modern warfare has fundamentally changed. Rather than focusing on territorial occupation and conquest, contemporary conflicts aim to exhaust opponents and undermine their resilience.
Experts Warn of Long-Term Global Confrontation
"What we see today is happening both on our fronts and in the Middle East — leaders and critical infrastructure are being targeted," Bezrukov said. In his view, Western countries seek to avoid a direct nuclear confrontation with Russia while gradually increasing pressure through a strategy he described as "boiling the frog slowly."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is prepared to begin direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin rather than wait for the United States to "resolve all conflicts in the world."
According to Zelensky, Iran has become "the number one issue for the United States," while Ukraine currently remains "in the queue of those issues."
"I truly believe that the United States is the strongest party capable of encouraging Putin to end the war," Zelensky said.
Russia is prepared to respond with nuclear means in the most severe scenarios involving threats to its territorial integrity, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
He urged observers to treat the signals embedded in Russia's doctrinal documents on nuclear use with maximum seriousness. According to him, opponents should not test Russia's readiness to defend itself by all available means.
"The signal in these documents boils down to the fact that an attack on Russia, on its territorial integrity by aggressors, including those who may not possess such [nuclear] weapons, in the worst-case scenarios may lead to us responding with the use of these means,” Ryabkov said, according to Interfax.
The Kremlin has positively assessed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's visit to Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Positively. We are always pleased to welcome guests," Peskov said when asked how the Kremlin views Schroeder's arrival in Moscow.
Earlier, on the morning of June 2, German broadcaster NTV reported that Schroeder had arrived in Moscow. The channel's correspondent, Rainer Munz, said he had seen the former German chancellor at the Kempinski Hotel in the Russian capital.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was unable to release a dove of peace during a meeting with voters. Video footage of the incident was published by the Telegram channel Sputnik.
Pashinyan tossed the bird into the air twice, but neither attempt was successful. The dove ultimately returned to its owner.
Pashinyan Discusses Possible Visit to Russia
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan once again stated that he is prepared to visit Russia if he succeeds in retaining his position following the parliamentary elections.
The United States is exerting pressure on Russia and plans to increase that pressure further, including on Moscow's partners, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"We can see that they plan to increase pressure on Russia — economic pressure, extraterritorial pressure — not only on Russia, but also on our partners," he said.
SPIEF is being held at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 3 to June 6. The forum's programme focuses on shaping a new model of global development amid the transformation of the world economy.
The talks have dragged on for weeks, and repeated exchanges of strikes in the Gulf region and Israel’s broadening war in Lebanon are further straining the efforts.
The talks have dragged on for weeks, and repeated exchanges of strikes in the Gulf region and Israel’s broadening war in Lebanon are further straining the efforts.
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