“The second point I would make is the sending NATO troops to Ukraine is the last resort. The way to avoid a last resort is to provide Ukraine with the ammunition and other capabilities it needs.
“If you send NATO troops to Ukraine in a combat role, that means war with Russia. And the only way you can do that is if if you are ready for war with Russia.
“And there is no way NATO is ready for war with Russia right now.
“The only way to deal with Russia is to show strength…the only solution therefore is to build up our armed forces to build a cast iron deterrent. There can be no appeasement.”
While leaders in the West assess how to confront Putin without sparking a full-blown war, the Kremlin is telling the Russian people that a direct conflict is already underway.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last week: “In fact, relations have now slipped to the level of direct confrontation.”
He added that NATO has “already involved in the conflict surrounding Ukraine (and) continues to move towards our borders and expand its military infrastructure towards our borders”
Last month, US-based think tank the Institute of the Study of War warned Russia is already preparing for war with NATO.
The report said: “Several Russian financial, economic, and military indicators suggest that Russia is preparing for a large-scale conventional conflict with NATO, not imminently but likely on a shorter timeline than what some Western analysts have initially posited.”
