Russia has issued a warning to Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, stating that the deployment of F-16 fighter jets from their airbases would be considered their involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. This warning was delivered by Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Gavrilov drew attention to statements suggesting that, due to significant damage to Ukraine’s airfield infrastructure, these military aircraft, transferred to Kyiv, could conduct flights from airbases in these countries.
“We strongly warn that the use of these fighter jets from the territory of these NATO member states will be seen by Moscow as their involvement in the conflict in Ukraine and will compel Russia to take retaliatory measures,” the diplomat stated during his speech at the 1065th plenary session of the OSCE forum on security cooperation.
According to him, “the US and its satellites continue to generate security threats” on Russia’s western borders.
“The aggressive nature of their policies is no longer hidden behind formulations of exclusively defensive military doctrines,” Gavrilov expressed his assessment.
He also pointed out that national and coalition doctrinal settings of the countries in the North Atlantic Alliance “assert claims to global and regional dominance, which they plan to achieve through the use of military force.”
Earlier, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană stated that several alliance countries would soon supply F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv.
Previously, Ukraine referred to President Zelensky’s joy over the F-16 deliveries as staged.
