After concerns that the conflict in Ukraine could develop into a global crisis have increased recently, Russia is once again adding fuel to the fire. The Kremlin is certain that NATO is preparing for a conflict with Moscow. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin is trying to downplay his own role in this.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, NATO is preparing its allies for a conflict with Russia. The RIA news agency quotes the ministry as saying that NATO’s actions pose additional risks to Russian security. The reason for the statement is NATO’s activities in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region.
Russians ‘not planning attack’
This means that fears of a “great war,” as former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker recently put it, continue to simmer. In Russia, however, people do not see themselves as really to blame for a possible escalation. As President Putin explained on Thursday, there are no plans to attack any NATO country.
Russia has no plans to attack any country in the transatlantic military alliance, including Poland, the Baltic states or the Czech Republic. “We have no aggressive intentions towards these states,” he said during a visit to a Russian air base in the northwestern city of Torzhok.
Putin: “The Czechs are also afraid”
“The idea that we will attack every other country – Poland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, take note) and the Czechs are also afraid – is complete nonsense,” Putin said, according to the official transcript of his speech published on Thursday for Luftwaffe pilots. At the same time, he pointed out that the US-led transatlantic military alliance had expanded eastwards towards Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
F-16 deliveries leave Putin cold
At the same time, Putin declared the F-16 fighter jets supplied by the West to Ukraine as legitimate targets. The supply of F-16s and training of Ukrainian pilots by Western countries will not change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, Putin said. Russia will destroy the planes, just as tanks, rocket launchers and other equipment supplied by the West have already been destroyed.
Even if they were deployed from airports in third countries, they would “of course become legitimate targets for Russia wherever they are,” Putin said. According to the text of the speech, he pointed out that these F-16s could also carry nuclear weapons.
Ukraine: Fighter jets will likely be ready for use in the coming months
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently stated that the F-16 fighter jets should arrive in Ukraine in the coming months. Ukraine has been trying for months to obtain F-16 jets to defend against Russian invading forces.
Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands are among the countries that have promised delivery. A coalition of countries has also agreed to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
