Russia's Lavrov: Do not underestimate threat of nuclear war

FILE PHOTO: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a news conference after his talks with Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani in Moscow, Russia, April 7, 2022. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) -Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West on Monday not to underestimate the elevated risks of nuclear conflict over Ukraine and said he viewed NATO as being "in essence" engaged in a proxy war with Russia by supplying Kyiv with weaponry.

Lavrov, in a wide-ranging interview broadcast on state television, also said that the core of any agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine would depend largely on the military situation on the ground.