Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Wednesday during a meeting with military pilots that should F-16 fighter jets be used from airfields of third countries, "they will become a legitimate target."
He went on to say that even if these aircraft are supplied directly to Ukraine, "this won't change the situation on the battlefield." Talking about the "special military operation" in Ukraine, the head of state mentioned that the conflict never would have happened if "the security interests of the Russian Federation had been taken into account after the collapse of the USSR."
Meanwhile, moving on to the topic of Moscow possibly attacking Poland and the Baltic states, or fighting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Putin underlined that such statements are "nonsense," adding that the country has no plans to do that.
