Putin, the tinpot Top Gun, claims he does not have Nato in his sights
EYES laser focused on his many enemies, it is an image no doubt intended to intimidate.
Yet, as he stared icily through a pair of night-vision goggles during a visit to an airbase near Moscow, Vladimir Putin made the hard-to-believe claim that he will not attack Nato members.
Two years into his illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian tyrant told pilots at the training centre that Nato countries are unjustifiably paranoid – seemingly at odds with his military aggression. ‘We have no aggressive intentions towards these states,’ he said, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin.
‘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.’
But the Russian president added that if Western states supply F- 16 fighter jets to Ukraine, they will be shot down by Russian forces. He warned: ‘If they are used from airfields in [ third- party] countries, they become for us legitimate targets, wherever they might be located.’ Ukraine has sought F-16s for many months.
It came as the Russian foreign ministry accused Nato of ‘preparing for a potential clash’ with Moscow through its activity in Eastern Europe.
The ministry was referring to Romania’s plans to expand a strategic military airbase – which trains Nato soldiers – in Constanta, on the Black Sea, which it perceives as a threat to Russia.
However, German chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted he is trying to avoid direct conflict between Russia and Nato – shown in his decision not to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles.
He said: ‘We will do everything we can to ensure that the war [between Russia and Ukraine] does not escalate.
‘With every arms delivery, we will carefully consider what it means in this context.’
Mr Scholz has repeatedly denied Kyiv’s calls for Taurus systems because the long-range missiles could be used to strike targets inside Russia.
Ukraine is digging more than 1,000 miles of trenches to thwart a potential spring offensive by Moscow.
But Russia escalated its attacks on Ukraine yesterday morning, firing salvos of missiles and drones. Air defence systems intercepted 26 out of 28 Shahed drones, Ukraine’s air force said.