Putting NATO troops into direct contact with the Russian army would be a foolish step that could lead to “global catastrophe,” Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday, following the Central Asia-Russia summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Asked whether NATO might send troops into Ukraine if the country was close to defeat in its conflict with Russia, Putin said this would be a “dangerous step that could lead to a global catastrophe.”
“I hope that those who speak about this will have enough intelligence to prevent such a dangerous step from happening,” he said.
The Russian leader also said it was necessary to understand what one means by the word “defeat” in the context of the Ukraine crisis.
“Everyone can understand this differently,” he said, explaining that some may already see the fact that Crimea voted to become part of Russia in 2014 as a defeat for Ukraine. “We need to understand what is meant [by defeat],” he added.