In an interview with Russian media, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine, which is being discussed in the West.
He said that Western troops have been in Ukraine for the entire period of the war, and if they are legalized, "it will not change the situation on the battlefield."
"Now they are present directly, in the form of advisors, they are present in the form of foreign mercenaries and they are suffering losses. But if we are talking about official military contingents of foreign countries, I am sure that this will not change the situation on the battlefield," the Russian president said.
He also commented on French President Emmanuel Macron's words that there should be no "red lines" regarding Russia.
"As for those states that say that they have no red lines regarding Russia, they should understand that Russia will not have any red lines regarding these states either," Putin said.
He also said that if Polish troops are sent to Ukraine, they "will never leave."
"If, for example, Polish troops enter the territory of Ukraine to, as it sounds, cover the Ukrainian-Belarusian border or in some other places to free Ukrainian military contingents to participate in hostilities on the contact line, I think that Polish troops will never leave," Putin said.
US troops, if they appear in Ukraine, will be "interventionists" for Moscow.
"The USA has announced that they are not going to send troops. We know what American troops on Russian territory are, they are interventionists. We will treat it that way, even if they appear on the territory of Ukraine. They understand this," the Russian president said.
