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The conflict surrounding Russia and Ukraine has led to concerns of a possible invasion by Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently threatened to take military action against NATO as tensions remain in the air.
In televised remarks, Putin accused the West of aggression surrounding the region. Putin then threatened that Russia would respond if the West made any further moves. This follows US reports suggesting Moscow is planning to carry out an invasion into Ukraine with the buildup of troops it has at the border the two countries share.
“If our Western counterparts continue a clearly aggressive line, we will undertake proportionate military-technical countermeasures and will respond firmly to unfriendly steps,” said Putin. “I’d like to stress that we are fully entitled to do that.”
The warnings follow last week’s list of demands that Russia has brought forward to the US and NATO. The demands include pulling out any NATO forces in countries that were once under Soviet rule, as well as barring Ukraine from joining the alliance. Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia has yet to receive a response to the demands it has.
“I think they’ll try to turn this into a slow-moving process. But we need it to be urgent because the situation is very difficult. It is acute,” said Ryabkov.
Putin has called on the West to make legal guarantees for Russia’s security. However, the Russian leader said he does not believe that the US will commit to any treaties.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has carried out military drills with US-made military vehicles. The drills were confirmed by the Ukrainian Dom television. Ukraine is looking to join the NATO alliance, and has since 2018, received US ammunition and javelin missiles, moves which have been criticized by Moscow. SU-30 fighter jets and SU-24 bombers from the Black Sea Fleet were seen conducting aerial refueling exercises over Crimea, the region Russia annexed in 2014.
20 pilots practiced complex flight missions, including mid-air refueling at altitudes from 2000 to 6000 meters at speeds of over 370 miles per hour.
Top Ukrainian security official Oleksiy Danilov said Wednesday that 122,000 Russian troops were 200 kilometers away from the border it shares with Ukraine.
