Reuters
Updated Thursday, March 28, 2024-09:34
Russia
has no plans on any NATO country
and
will not attack Poland, the Baltic states or the Czech Republic, but if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine they will be shot down by Russian forces, President Vladimir Putin has said. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia's relations with the West since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. "The idea that we are going to attack some other country - Poland, the Baltic States and the Czechs are also afraid - it's complete nonsense," he said.
The
Kremlin
, which accuses the
United States
of fighting Russia by supporting Ukraine with money, weapons and intelligence, says relations with Washington have probably never been worse.
Asked about the F-16 fighters that the West has promised to send to Ukraine, Putin said those planes would not change the situation in Ukraine. "If they supply F-16s, and they are talking about it and apparently training pilots, this will not change the situation on the battlefield," Putin said, "and we will destroy the planes just as today we destroy tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment. including multiple rocket launchers.
"Of course, if they are used from airfields in third countries, they become legitimate targets for us, wherever they are," Putin said. Putin's remarks came after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the planes would arrive in Ukraine in the coming months.
Ukraine, which has now been in total war against Russia for more than two years, has been searching for F-16s for many months. Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands are some of the countries that have pledged to donate F-16s. A coalition of countries has promised to donate F-16s to Ukraine. A coalition of countries has promised to help train Ukrainian pilots in its use.