Ukraine crisis: miscalculation could trigger unintended wider conflict

Risk of something going down like a mid-air collision, or a trigger-happy Russian or American, can really escalate things quickly'

The unprecedented Russian military encirclement of Ukraine has not only brought closer the prospect of a devastating war in that country, it has also raised the risks of triggering an unintended wider conflict.

The US and Nato have been adamant that their troops will not enter Ukraine no matter what happens, and the Pentagon has pulled out the 160 national guard soldiers who were acting as military advisers.