Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday expressed concern about the growing threat of a third world war, pointing to the escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as dangerous flashpoints.
"There is a lot of potential for conflict now,” Putin said in a speech at the St. Petersburg forum. "We are concerned about the possibility of a global war. All conflicts must be resolved by peaceful means.”
He criticized NATO for expanding eastward, saying the alliance continues to disregard Russia’s security interests. "This is yet another vestige of the West’s neocolonial policy,” he claimed.
Putin also said US President Donald Trump had pledged to support Russia’s request to guarantee the safety of its personnel at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility.
Regarding the Middle East, Putin commented on Israel’s reported threat to assassinate Ali Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, saying: "I hope this remains just rhetoric.”
Earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sky News at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg on Friday that regime change in Iran is "unacceptable," warning that such a move would incite "extremist moods" in the country.
"Those who are speaking about (killing Khamenei), they should keep it in mind. They will open Pandora's box," Peskov warned.
