MADRID, March 10. /TASS/. NATO will not become a participant in the conflict over Ukraine, otherwise it could escalate into World War III, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell cautioned on Wednesday in an interview with La Sexta TV channel.

"We are attempting to prevent an escalation. NATO is not going to war, <...> it would trigger World War III, it would trigger a nuclear war." "We are attempting to prevent any incident from pushing us to this," he pointed out.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the leaders of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation. The EU called these actions a violation of international law and imposed sanctions.