RUSSIA has absolutely no supporters for a confrontation with Nato forces, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

“There are no supporters for a confrontation with Nato in Russia, but we must take measures that ensure our interests,” Mr Peskov told a news briefing.

His comments follow a warning by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on November 15 that a confrontation between Russia and Nato might take place before the end of this decade.

The German defence chief said: “We have traditionally cited 2029 as a potential timeframe, but current assessments suggest a possibility as early as 2028.

“Some military analysts contend we may have just experienced our final peaceful summer.”

He said that Nato maintained “robust deterrence capabilities,” including nuclear forces.

Russian officials have made it clear that they are confident in their military capabilities compared to those available to Nato.

Alexander Mikheyev, the head of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, told the Tass news agency on Monday: “Over the past few years, Russian showrooms at international exhibitions have been the subject of growing attention from lots of countries that want to have combat-proven weapons in service.

“Practically all of them have proven their outstanding performance in real combat conditions, successfully countering modern Nato-standard weapons.”