Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the decision to intervene militarily in Ukraine was “difficult”, and once more said that decreeing a no-fly over Ukraine would be equivalent to a declaration of war.
“I said this at the beginning of the operation and I said it before this decision was made. A difficult decision, without a doubt,” Putin said at a meeting with female flight crew members of Russian airlines, broadcast on public television.
Putin referred to the request of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to NATO to declare a no-fly over his country, which has been denied by the Alliance.
“We hear that it is necessary to establish a no-fly zone over the territory of Ukraine. To do this is impossible from the territory of Ukraine itself, it can only be done from the territory of some neighboring states. But any movement in that direction will be considered by us as a participation in the armed conflict by that State from whose territory threats to our country are created”, he underlined.
Putin also referred to the consequences that Ukraine’s accession to NATO might have.
“We began to talk more and more actively regarding the fact that Ukraine will be accepted into NATO. Do you understand what this might lead to? Or where can it still lead so far?” asked the Russian leader.
Putin repeated some of the justifications he has given to the offensive once morest Ukraine since it was launched on February 24, including the defense of the inhabitants of the pro-Russian regions of Donbas.
“Listen, people in Donbas are not stray dogs. Between 13,000 and 14,000 people have died over the years. More than 500 children have been killed or maimed. But the West chose not to notice this for eight years. Listen, eight years,” Putin said, referring to the war that began in 2014 following the regime change in Kiev and Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. (I)
