Russia's President Vladimir Putin said in remarks published on Wednesday (March 13) that if U.S. troops appear in Ukraine, Russia will treat them as interventionists, Reuters reports.
Putin, in a wide-ranging interview with RIA and the Rossiya-1 state television, said also that if the United States conducts nuclear tests, Russia may do the same.
He also added that Russia is ready - from a military-technical point of view - for a nuclear war, but for now, not "everything is rushing to it".
“From the technical point of view, of course we are ready. They (missiles) are constantly combat ready. This is firstly. Secondly, and this is accepted by everybody - our nuclear triad is more modern than any other triad. Actually only us and Americans have a triad. And we have advanced much more than them. Our triad and the whole nuclear element is more modern. In general, if we talk about the carriers and number of warheads we are more or less equal but ours are more modern. Everybody knows this. All experts know this. But it does not mean that we need to measure ourselves with them on the number of warheads. But it needs to be known - by everybody who needs to know this - experts, specialists, military,” Putin said.
Putin said that Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO is "a meaningless step" and that Russia will deploy troops and systems of destruction to the Finnish border after Finland joins the alliance.
"This is an absolutely meaningless step (for Finland and Sweden) from the point of view of ensuring their own national interests," Putin told Russia's RIA state news agency and Rossiya-1 state television in a wide-ranging interview.
"We didn't have troops there (at the Finnish border), now they will be there. There were no systems of destruction there, now they will appear."
Besides, Putin said that Russia does not interfere in any elections and it will work with any elected U.S. leader.
"We do not interfere in any way in any elections," Putin said in a wide-ranging interview, answering questions asked by Russian TV anchor Dmitry Kiselev. "And, as I have said many times, we will work with any leader who is trusted by the American people, the American voter."
Putin also said that Donald Trump, when he was president, scolded him for "sympathizing" with now President Joe Biden.
He also described pre-election situation in the United States as "uncivilized" but refrained from providing any details to support his claim.
