Russians are warning that NATO military deployments into Ukraine — which is not covered by Article 5 of the NATO treaty — would cross Moscow’s red lines.
At the “Russia Calling!” Investment Forum on Nov. 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against the possibility of the alliance placing advanced weapons in Ukraine near the border with Russia, saying that such a deployment would be a redline. An investor had asked what the consequences of crossing a Russian red line would be, suggesting Russian troops moving into Ukraine. Putin’s answer was more sobering. This is the context in which he stated that Russia had developed hypersonic weapons because of NATO forces advancing to its borders:
“…The point at issue is not to deploy or not to deploy troops, to fight or not to fight. The point at issue is to develop relations aimed at fairer and more stable development based on respect for the security interests of all the participants in international affairs….
“[T]he Russian Federation also has certain apprehensions regarding the large-scale military exercises held near its border, including unscheduled ones, like the recent Black Sea drills during which strategic bombers, which are known to carry precision and possibly even nuclear weapons, made flights within 20 kilometres of our border. All this is posing a threat to us….
“Take a look at what has been going on for the past 20 years… Why did they need to enlarge NATO towards our border? What for? Who can answer this question? There is no reasonable answer; it does not exist….
