Latest update: 14/02/2008 

Putin: Russia could target Ukraine if threatened
Putin: Russia could target Ukraine if threatened
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow could target its missiles at neighbouring Ukraine if it threatened Russia's national security by hosting a NATO base.

MOSCOW, Feb 14 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on
Thursday Russia did not plan to re-target its missiles at any
state "without extreme necessity" and Moscow hoped it would not
find itself in a conflict situation with the West.

"We are not going to re-target anything at anyone without
extreme necessity," Putin said at his annual news conference in
the Kremlin.
 

"We plan no conflicts (with the West) and we hope this will
not happen in the foreseeable future."
 

Putin said earlier this week that, theoretically, Russia
could re-target its "offensive missiles" at ex-Soviet neighbour
Ukraine if it joined NATO and then deployed on its territory a
foreign base that threatened Russia's security.

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