New York Post
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said he is weighing a number of options if the West fails to accede to his demands for security guarantees on NATO expansion in Ukraine.
The Kremlin earlier this month released draft security documents calling on NATO to deny Ukraine and other former Soviet republics membership and to curtail allowing military expansion into Eastern Europe.
He reiterated his assertion that allowing Ukraine into the alliance or deploying troops or weapons there would be a “red line” for Russia.
“We have nowhere to retreat,” he said, pointing out that any missiles placed in Ukraine would be able to reach Russia in under five minutes, posing a threat to the country.
“They have pushed us to a line that we can’t cross. They have taken it to the point where we simply must tell them: ‘Stop!’” he said.
Putin last week demanded that the West “immediately” respond to his calls for security guarantees and said he would take “military-technical measures” if the US and its European allies continue their aggressive behavior.
Asked what his response would be, Putin said they “could be diverse,” adding that it would depend “on what our military…
