Putin says Russia will not attack NATO, but F-16s will be shot down in Ukraine

girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to News@lemmy.world – 90 points –
reuters.com

Russia has no designs on any NATO country and will not attack Poland, the Baltic states or the Czech Republic but if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine then they will be shot down by Russian forces, President Vladimir Putin said late on Wednesday.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Speaking to Russian air force pilots, Putin said the U.S.-led military alliance had expanded eastwards towards Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union but that Moscow had no plans to attack a NATO state.

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Still playing the victim here for neighboring countries joining NATO. Perhaps prof. Dr. Putin should read a history book that is not Soviet narratively written , which would call out for the unwanted occupation of half of central and eastern Europe. And the unwanted _forced Warsaw pact alliance.

NATO is a voluntary alliance. Maybe by looking in the mirror and see why all formal Warsaw pact counties wanted to join NATO, would answer your question. Bully who bullies doesn't understand why his victims dont want to be bullied.

But it's all for the believers because ignorance is strength.

Honestly not seeing what the news story is here. Putin claims he won’t be invading any other neighboring nations (he doesn’t have the capability atm) but Ukrainian forces are fair game (they are at war!). The status quo continues, just as it has for the last 2 years.

Russian forces will down a couple of F-16s. Big whoop! At this point the 16s are practically mass manufactured to the point that they are one of the cheapest fighters available. I’m honestly surprised that the Mexican drug cartels aren’t flying them. Damn near every one else has.

I think the story is about "the dog that didn't bark". Other Russian officials (including the former president) as well as media mouthpieces have openly advocated attacking NATO countries, whereas Putin declares that Russia won't. It's newsworthy, even if it's as obviously manufactured as any good-cop-bad-cop routine.

While F-16 might be abundant (probably not for Ukraine though), pilots are not and they don't grow on trees. It takes a lot of time to teach them.

Plus jet fighter maintenance isn’t exactly something you can just google and have a couple “mechanical dudes” handle

Well, Putin lies so much that denying it might be evidence that he's actually planning to do it.

(Similarly, I think they'll fail to shoot down any F-16s, LOL.)

Who cares what that monster claims. In 2008 when he invaded Georgia, he claimed that that he will not invade Ukraine. Here's the Google translated source

The status quo continues, just as it has for the last 2 years.

Make that 10. Only the intensity and scale changed 2 years ago, otherwise it's the same.

Oh, so now they say they won't attack Poland? Come on pooty poot, its getting a little hard to keep ur narratives straight! Whatever happened to the denazification plot you were talking about some time ago?

Well, it’s when they start denying things that you need to start worrying.

I'm sure Medvedev will release a statement tomorrow about nuking everyone again.

LOL, good luck with that copium, Pootie. Those F-16s are going to absolutely murderfuck your S-300s & S-400s.

It's literally what they were designed for.

DM: Alright, Putin, you stand before the council of world leaders. What do you do?

Putin: I glare at them and try to intimidate.

DM: What do you say?

Putin: I threaten to shoot down their F-16s.

DM: Alright, go ahead and roll.

Putin rolls a 7

America (laughing): You can certainly try

Gonna need a target lock for that first. Which they'll find decidedly harder to do than with Ukraine's old MIGs...