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Russia said on Wednesday that sending NATO troops into Ukraine would potentially be extremely dangerous, and Moscow was closely watching a Ukrainian petition that called for such an intervention. The petition, posted on the Ukrainian president's website, says Ukraine should ask the United States, Britain and other countries to send troops to help it repel Russia's invasion. "We have repeatedly said that direct intervention on the ground in this conflict by the military of NATO countries potentially carries enormous danger, so we consider this an extremely challenging provocation, nothing less, and, of course, we are watching this very carefully."

President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday of a "real" risk of nuclear war if the West escalates the conflict in Ukraine, offering a defiant and emboldened stance in his annual speech to Russians. Speaking in Moscow, Putin said his soldiers were advancing in Ukraine and warned the West of "tragic consequences" for any country that dared to send troops to Kyiv. "They have announced the possibility of sending Western military contingents to Ukraine... The consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic," he said in his address to the nation. "They should eventually realise that we also have weapons that...

Maria Zakharova - spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry - warned the West that the advanced F-16 fighters delivered to Ukraine will be a fair target for Russia if they are based in NATO countries. She said that the fourth-generation fighter jets could be based in Poland, Slovakia and Romania, meaning NATO is 'getting deeper' into the Ukrainian conflict. 'There have been many questions asked about the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine,' said Zakharova, 47. She continued: 'I would like to say that NATO member states continue, as you understand, to intensively arm Ukraine and the supply of...

Lavrov said on Thursday that Moldova, an Eastern European country and former Soviet republic, is putting itself in harm's way in its desire to join the European Union. In June 2022, the EU and its member states offered unwavering support for Moldova and granted it candidate status. The support was reaffirmed in March of this year, with the EU and its members promising to continue to provide security and economic support to Moldova as it awaits its path to accession... On Thursday, the Moldova Foreign Ministry issued a rebuke to Lavrov's comments, calling Russia's invasion of Ukraine "brutal" and saying...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says China is considering providing weapons to Russia in its war against Ukraine, warning Beijing that any supplies would "cause a serious problem." "The concern we have now is based on information we have that they're considering providing lethal support," Blinken tells CBS's "Face The Nation"....