Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed as nonsense the idea of Russia starting a conflict with North American Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries, Russia Today reported.
During a visit to Torzhok Air Base, located couple of hours from Moscow, Putin dismissed the notion that Russia has plans to target Europe post-Ukraine: “The claims that we are going to attack Europe after Ukraine – it is utter nonsense and intimidation of their own population just to beat the money out of them,” he elaborated.
Putin added that there was an environment of fear created by Western countries about a Russian threat to countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, or the Baltic states as a tactic to justify defence spending.
Putin during the course of his speech accused Nato of moving closer to Russian borders, and not the other way around. His comments come at a time when tensions between both the sides have increased drastically.
“They came right up to our borders… Did we go across the ocean to the borders of the United States? No, they are approaching us, and they have come very close,” Putin added.
Meanwhile, Putin has said that if Western countries supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters, the aircraft will not alter the situation on the battlefield, Russian news agency Itar Tass quoted President Vladimir Putin as telling military pilots
“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..And we will destroy the aircraft just as we destroy today’s tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers,” Putin said.
Putin’s remarks came after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the aircraft should arrive in Ukraine in the coming months.
Kyiv has been asking for F-16s. Countries like Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands have pledged to donate F-16s, while other countries have said that they would train Ukrainian pilots in their use.
