Deployment of European Troops in Ukraine Would Mean Direct War with Russia: Putin
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the deployment of European troops in Ukraine would amount to direct war with Russia. According to state news agency TASS, Putin said on Friday that Europe was pushing its countries toward war with Russia.Speaking to journalists, Putin said, “They are now talking about how to send…
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the deployment of European troops in Ukraine would amount to direct war with Russia. According to state news agency TASS, Putin said on Friday that Europe was pushing its countries toward war with Russia.
Speaking to journalists, Putin said, “They are now talking about how to send troops into Ukraine. That means war with Russia.” He accused Western nations of “using” Ukraine in an attempt to “destroy” Russia, adding: “First they used terrorists and separatists in the Caucasus, then through other means, and now through the neo-Nazi government in Ukraine. Still, it doesn’t stop.”
However, Putin also stated that Moscow was not threatening European nations and had no intention of doing so. He accused the “European elite” of frightening their own populations with a “fictitious threat” from Russia, saying there was no basis for any conflict between Russia and Europe. “We are not threatening European countries and do not intend to. Why would we? No one even considers the fact that there is no basis for any conflict of ours with Europe,” he said.
Putin further warned that mistakes in Europe’s energy policy would lead to higher gas prices for consumers, noting that Russia sells its energy resources at basic market prices.
