Russian President Vladimir Putin warned NATO and the US Tuesday that any deployment of troops or missiles in Ukraine would cross a “red line” and prompt a military response.
Putin’s remarks came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg cautioned Putin against taking any aggressive action against Ukraine amid a buildup of Russian troops and equipment on Ukraine’s eastern border.
“And part of that playbook is to attempt to create and manufacture a so-called provocation as justification for something that Russia was planning to do all along,” said the secretary, who noted that NATO allies will meet on Wednesday about the standoff.
Also on Tuesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said Russia is “absolutely” behind a suspected plot to topple the country’s pro-Western government because it has made moves to join the European Union.