Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia harbors no aggressive intentions towards NATO countries.

Putin warned that supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine would make them a target for Russian forces.

Ukraine has received commitments from several NATO countries for the provision of F-16s to counter Russian air superiority.

The Russian President acknowledged the capability of F-16s to carry nuclear weapons and implied this would factor into Russia's military strategy.

Putin cautioned that Russian forces could target airfields in third countries from which F-16s might operate.

Concerns were raised about the practical challenges of deploying and maintaining F-16s in the current conflict.

German officials are exploring options to support Ukraine despite not having F-16 jets in their arsenal.

The speech underscores escalating tensions over the potential F-16 deployment to Ukraine and its wider implications for NATO.