Vladimir Putin denies plans to attack NATO but warns Ukraine

In a statement on March 27, President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has no intention of attacking NATO countries, including Poland, the Baltic states, or the Czech Republic.

However, he warned that if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine, Russian forces will shoot them down.

Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered the most severe crisis in Russia's relations with the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

During a speech to Russian air force pilots, Putin stated that while NATO had expanded eastward since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Moscow had no intentions of attacking a NATO country.

"We have no aggressive intentions towards these states," Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript released on March 28.

"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."

The Kremlin accuses the U.S. of fighting Russia by supporting Ukraine with money, weapons, and intelligence. As a result, they claim that relations with Washington are at an all-time low.

During an interview, Putin dismissed the impact of F-16 fighters that the West had pledged to send to Ukraine, stating that it wouldn't change the situation in the country.

"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 today's tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers."

During a recent meeting, Putin warned that F-16 fighter jets could carry nuclear weapons, and if they were deployed from airfields in third countries, they could become legitimate targets for Russia.

Putin’s comments came after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the aircraft would arrive in Ukraine in the coming months.

Ukraine has been engaged in a war against Russia for over two years now. They have been requesting F-16s for several months.

Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands have committed to donate F-16s to Ukraine, and a coalition of countries has pledged to provide comprehensive training to Ukrainian pilots in the operation of these aircraft.