Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has triggered the deepest crisis in the Kremlin’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.The Russian President, Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said the country has no designs on any NATO country and will not attack Poland, the Baltic states, or the Czech Republic.
He, however, said that if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine, then they will be shot down by Russian forces, according to Reuters.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has triggered the deepest crisis in the Kremlin’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
NATO’s activities in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region are aimed at preparing for a possible conflict with Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry told state-controlled RIA Novosti.
The ministry drew attention to "the strengthening of the bloc’s military potential in Romania, Poland and the Baltic states," read the RIA report. “All this is aimed at preparing the bloc’s allies for a potential clash with our country,” the ministry emphasized.
Speaking to Russian air force pilots, Putin said the U.S.-led military alliance had expanded eastwards towards Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union but that Moscow had no plans to attack a NATO state, according to Reuters.
Kremlin in a statement transcript released on Thursday, Putin said, “We have no aggressive intentions towards these states.”
“The idea that we will attack some other country—Poland, the Baltic States, and the Czechs are also being scared—is complete nonsense. It’s just drivel,” he added
The Kremlin, which accuses the U.S. of fighting against Russia by supporting Ukraine with money, weapons, and intelligence, says relations with Washington have probably never been worse.
Russian intelligence agency FSB also accused Washington, along with London and Kyiv, of being behind the Friday Moscow shooting that took the lives of at least 140 people.
“If they supply F-16s, and they are talking about this and are apparently training pilots, this will not change the situation on the battlefield,” Putin said.
“And we will destroy the aircraft just as we destroy… tanks, armored vehicles, and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers.”
Putin said that the F-16 could also carry nuclear weapons.
“Of course, if they will be used from airfields in third countries, they become legitimate targets for us, wherever they might be located,” Putin continued.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in his remarks followed comments earlier in the day noted that the aircraft should arrive in Ukraine in the coming months. Ukraine, now more than two years into a full-fledged war against Russia, has sought F-16s for many months.
Meanwhile, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands are among the countries that have pledged to donate F-16s. A coalition of countries has promised to help train Ukrainian pilots in their use.