The latest warnings from Vladimir Putin and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to some speculations, highlight a dangerous escalation in rhetoric between Russia and the West. Putin’s insistence that any NATO troops appearing in Ukraine would become “legitimate targets” for the Russian military, coupled with Peskov’s declaration that Moscow would never allow NATO to deploy a contingent there, is not mere sabre-rattling. It reveals both Russia’s strategic anxieties and its determination to shape the narrative of the ongoing war.

The core question is whether these statements are just political rhetoric or whether they signal the potential for a wider, perhaps even catastrophic, confrontation between NATO and Russia. The answer lies somewhere in between. While NATO leaders have repeatedly avoided sending combat troops into Ukraine, Russia’s statements are designed to deter even limited Western military missions under the guise of training, peacekeeping, or technical support.

What many think, as in Putin's insinuations, is the danger of direct confrontation...

Let's be clearer. If NATO troops were ever to set foot in Ukraine in a formal, combat capacity, the war would no longer be a bilateral conflict between Moscow and Kyiv. It would transform into a direct Russia–NATO confrontation. The immediate risks would be immense: Russian forces could target NATO bases, convoys, or airfields inside Ukraine, provoking a reciprocal response. Once such a cycle begins, escalation could rapidly spiral beyond anyone’s control.

In the early stages, the war would likely intensify with missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian territory, not only against Ukrainian infrastructure........

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