Putin’s ominous Ukraine warning

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday blamed the West for increasing tensions in Eastern Europe and suggested a “military-technical” response if his request for security guarantees is not met.

His remarks come a day after a spokesperson for the Kremlin warned that Russia will “hold a gun to America’s head” if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO.

In a speech to Defense Ministry officials, Putin said Moscow needs “long-term, legally binding guarantees” that the US and NATO will not deploy missile systems in Ukraine, rather than “verbal assurances.”

Russia has massed as many as 175,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, a move that many fear is a prelude to an invasion as early as next month.

Putin said NATO has continued to expand its footprint in Europe since the end of the Cold War despite claims from the West that Moscow’s fears of encroachment are groundless.

“What is happening now, tensions that are building up in Europe, is their [the US and NATO’s] fault every step of the way,” Putin said.

Putin vowed if the US and its allies continue their “obviously aggressive stance,” Russia would take “appropriate retaliatory militarytechnical measures.”

At the same time, the Russian leader said he hopes that “constructive, meaningful talks” will lead to a resolution.

“Armed conflicts, bloodshed is not our choice, and we don’t want such developments. We want to resolve issues by political and diplomatic means,” he said.

President Biden, who held a virtual summit with Putin earlier this month, has warned that the US would impose “substantial” economic sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine.

Dmitry Kiselyov, a Putin confidant and the head of state-controlled media outlet Rossiya Segodnya, took a more militant approach in an interview Monday with the BBC.

He said if the West fails to deliver the security guarantees, Russia will “deploy missiles.”

“But this is your choice. We don’t want this,” Kiselyov said. “If Ukraine ever joins NATO or if NATO develops military infrastructure there, we will hold a gun to America’s head. We have the military capability.

“Russia has the best weapons in the world — hypersonic ones. They’d reach America as fast as US or British weapons could reach Moscow from Ukraine. It would be the Cuban Missile Crisis all over again, but with a shorter flight time for the missiles,” he warned.