Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Kremlin. Kay Nietfeld/dpa
"Any movement in this direction will be considered by us as participation of the respective country in an armed conflict," Putin said on Saturday at a meeting with pilots of the state airline Aeroflot.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US President Joe Biden and European countries have repeatedly ruled out creating a no-fly zone to protect Ukraine from Russia's aerial bombardment.
They fear such a step would dramatically increase the risk of direct confrontation with Russia and lead to a wider war in Europe.
