West at risk of conflict with Russia, Britain's army chief says

FILE PHOTO: British Army General Sir Nick Carter arrives for a meeting to address the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak, at Downing Street in London, Britain March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

LONDON (Reuters) - There is a greater risk of an accidental war breaking out between the West and Russia than at any time since the Cold War, with many of the traditional diplomatic tools no longer available, Britain's most senior military officer said.

General Nick Carter, chief of the defence staff, told Times Radio there was a greater risk of tensions in the new era of a "multipolar world", where governments compete for different objectives and different agendas.