Putin reassure: we have no intention of invading European countries or clashing with NATO; these are “total lies”. But immediately afterwards he adds that, if the F16s delivered to Ukraine this summer take off from airfields on NATO territory for their missions, then “They will certainly become legitimate targets for us, wherever they are”. A statement that came during a visit to a base, after a pilot had explicitly asked him: “Will we be authorized to hit these targets on NATO airports?”.
Taken literally, the words of the Kremlin head would suggest an intention to go all out on this issue. But it is clear that even the simple entry into airspace controlled by European forces and Americans, would inevitably trigger a response. And this it would mean the start of global hostilities.
The words and the deeds
But is this what Putin intends to do? Taking into account the rhetoric used since the beginning of the Special Military Operation, it would seem that he can exclude it, at least for now. Both the president and his closest collaborators have repeatedly stated that now it is no longer a clash between Moscow and Kiev but what the Russia is “practically” fighting against the entire Atlantic Alliance. But words were never followed by deeds.
Already in December the threat of retaliation for the take-off of the new fighters from “third nation” airports had been repeated several times. The number one of the Russian delegation at the arms control talks, Gavrilov, he had specified that this “would be seen by Moscow as participation in the conflict in Ukraine and would force Russia to take response measures”. But already then one of the most informed analysts, Georgy Bovt, he had pointed out how the same things had been said previously about the convoys bringing weapons to Kiev’s troops from abroad. “It is claimed that we are at war with NATO, but I really don’t think there will be concrete actions.”
Military expenses
Certainly, the head of state’s sentence seems to be particularly explicit. But always to the same pilots, Putin had explained how crazy it would be to embark on a conflict against NATO: “The USA spent 811 billion dollars in one year and we spent 72. Bearing in mind this ratio of more than ten to one, do we intend to fight against NATO? No, it’s just a delusion, an absolute lie.” Our Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is convinced that it is simply preventive propaganda: «He grew up in the KGB, I don’t think Putin wants a world war».
Over the assault on Crocus on Friday, Russia continues to accuse Ukraine(but the USA confirmed that it had sent a written note to Moscow indicating the ISIS danger), with the Investigative Committee yesterday having another suspect arrested and announced that he had found traces of money and cryptocurrencies sent to the killers by Kiev nationalists. In addition to the 140 confirmed deaths, there are now 143 missing. And the attacks on Ukrainian territory are intensifying, with a power plant hit during the night and three deaths yesterday in civilian buildings. The Russian military uses ballistic missiles that Zelensky says could only be intercepted by Patriot batteries. It also seems that Putin’s men are stocking up on weapons in North Korea. In recent days, the head of the secret service Naryshkin was in Pyongyang. And yesterday Russia vetoed a UN resolution on the control of sanctions on Korea.
Even if officially there is only the Ukrainian track for the Crocus, tensions are very high in Russia. In Siberia the police arrested a nine-year-old girl who, as a joke, had written to a lady asking her if she too would be willing to “kill for half a million rubles” as the terrorists would have done in Moscow.
