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Military operation in Ukraine

Russian senior lawmaker doubts NATO will deploy troops to western Ukraine

"Nevertheless, in case we imagine this fantastical, from my point of view, assumption [about the deployment of NATO forces to western Ukraine], Russia will be capable of standing up to anyone," Slutsky said

DONETSK, May 21. /TASS/. Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky has doubts that NATO will move troops into western Ukraine, he said at a news conference in Donetsk on Saturday.

"I believe that the North Atlantic Alliance and those decision makers at its headquarters, along with those to the west of Brussels, are pondering over this. They are not enemies to themselves. To my regret, they are opponents, let me put it very diplomatically, to Russia. But I do not think that there might be this type of military confrontation," Slutsky said.

"Nevertheless, in case we imagine this fantastical, from my point of view, assumption [about the deployment of NATO forces to western Ukraine], Russia will be capable of standing up to anyone," Slutsky said adding that Russia is "the world’s most combat-ready power" in terms of its military power potential.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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