Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that any direct confrontation by NATO troops with Moscow would lead to a “global catastrophe”.
“I hope those who are saying this are smart enough not to take these measures,” the Russian told a news conference in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana.
Putin’s apocalyptic tone comes amid renewed escalation in the Ukrainian War and a day after the European Union’s diplomatic chief threatened to annihilate Russia’s army if it uses nuclear weapons against Kiev.
“It must be clear that any nuclear attack against Ukraine will generate a response,” said Spanish Josep Borrel. “It will not be a nuclear response, but one so powerful on the military side that the Russian army would be annihilated.”
During a leaders’ summit in Astana, Putin was also asked about some of the main points of the current phase of the Ukraine War – which, nearly eight months after the invasion, Russia still calls a “special military operation”.
The Russian leader denied having any regrets related to the actions against Kiev and reiterated that Moscow’s aim was never to destroy the neighboring country. “What is happening today is unpleasant, but we are doing the right thing,” he said.
Despite carrying out the most extensive air strike on Ukrainian targets since the start of the Russian offensive earlier this week and having bombed a number of pillars of Kiev’s civilian infrastructure, Putin said he still saw no need for massive strikes against Ukraine for now. According to him, most of the targets designated by his forces have already been reached.
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