Amid significant tension between his country and the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow has no plans towards any member state of NATO. He added that his country would not attack Poland, the Baltic states, or the Czech Republic, but at the same time threatened that if the West supplied Ukraine with "F-16" fighter jets, "Russian forces will shoot them down."
Putin, speaking to Russian air force pilots on Wednesday, as reported by the Kremlin on Thursday, stated that NATO has expanded eastward towards Russia since the Soviet Union's fall in 1991, but Moscow has no plans to attack any NATO member state. He asserted, "We have no hostile intentions towards these countries. The conception that we would attack another state, Poland or any of the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic is also fearful, is utter nonsense. It is simply delirium."
In response to a question about the "F-16" fighters promised by the West to Ukraine, Putin said that these aircraft would not change the situation there. He opined that if they provide "F-16" jets, which they are allegedly discussing and training pilots for, this would not alter the situation on the battlefield. He also emphasized, "We will destroy the aircraft as we are currently destroying tanks, armored vehicles, and other equipment, including rocket launchers."
Putin noted that "F-16" fighter jets could also carry nuclear weapons, adding, "Of course, if they take off from the airports of a third country, they will become legitimate targets for us wherever they are."
It is worth noting that since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has prohibited the use of the word "war," imposing fines and prison sentences on those who use it, until it finally acknowledged for the first time on Friday that the country is in a state of war. These statements from the Kremlin came following a remark by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday that the aircraft are expected to arrive in Ukraine within the coming months.
