To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Vladimir Putin has claimed there is only ‘one case’ in which Russia would invade more European countries after Ukraine.
In his meandering interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the Russian leader said sending troops into countries such as Latvia or Poland would be ‘absolutely out of the question’.
When pressed on whether he could imagine a scenario where he would decide to invade Poland, he said there was just one.
Putin responded: ‘Only in one case, if Poland attacks Russia.
‘Why? Because we have no interest in Poland, Latvia or anywhere else. Why would we do that? We simply don’t have any interest.’
Like many nations in Europe, Poland and Latvia are members of Nato – meaning any invasion would spark a joint military response from countries including the US and the UK.
The Russian leader added: ‘It goes against common sense to get involved in some kind of a global war, and a global war will bring all humanity to the brink of destruction. It’s obvious.’
However, Putin made similar reassurances that he had no plans to launch an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in January 2022.
Just a month later, he did exactly that.
Several Nato countries have introduced conscription (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Latvia is among several countries in eastern Europe to have recently stepped up military preparations amid fears Russia’s ambitions may not stop with Ukraine.
At the beginning of this year, the Baltic nation introduced conscription for men aged between 18 and 27, with the aim of training 61,000 combat ready troops split between active and reserve units.
Its neighbours Estonia and Lithuania already have the mandatory system in place.
Latvia’s foreign minister Krisjanis Karins told The Telegraph: ‘We need to be in such a state of preparedness that Russian generals and the Russian political classes clearly see that the direction of Europe is a no-go.
‘European defences are completely up to snuff, and that it’s not possible to have any gains without tremendous loss, and to make sure, actually, that no gains would be feasible.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.