Putin warns Russia will act if NATO crosses its red lines in Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the VTB Capital Investment Forum "Russia Calling!" via a video conference call in Moscow, Russia November 30, 2021. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia would be forced to act if its "red lines" on Ukraine were crossed by NATO, saying Moscow would view the deployment of certain offensive missile capabilities on Ukrainian soil as a trigger.

Speaking at an investment forum in Moscow, Putin said he hoped common sense would prevail on all sides, but that he wanted NATO to be aware of Russia's own security concerns around Ukraine and how it would respond if the West continued to help Kyiv expand its military infrastructure.