Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday compared the sanctions imposed on his country to declarations of war, and warned that there will be "colossal consequences not only for Europe but also for the whole world" if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) creates a no-fly zone.

"The sanctions they are imposing against Russia are like a declaration of war," Putin said during a meeting with female flight crew members of Russian airlines.

"We are beginning to talk more and more actively about the possibility of Ukraine being accepted into NATO. Do you understand what that could lead to?" the Russian leader questioned.

The sanctions imposed by various countries, organizations, and even companies and brands range from freezing the assets of the Russian Central Bank, to excluding Russian banks from the international financial system, Swift, cutting Russian banks off from the Swift system, or blocking oligarchs' accounts, to stopping extraditions to that country, or even expelling the country from European soccer leagues.

Despite relying on the sanctions, Putin admitted at the time that the decision to move into Ukraine and take Kiev "was very difficult."

"I said this at the beginning of the operation and I said it before this decision was made. A difficult decision, without any doubt," Putin assumed.

However, Putin assured that Russian forces have virtually eliminated Ukraine's military infrastructure in the 10 days of armed intervention in that country.

"The first thing they [the Russian military] did was to destroy all the military infrastructure. Well, not everything, but partially, mainly warehouses with weapons, ammunition, aviation, air defense systems. Destroying the air defense systems takes time: you have to find them and then attack them. But this work is practically complete," the Russian President described.

Putin also stressed that Russia's proposals for a solution to this conflict with Ukraine are on the negotiating table and said he hopes they will get positive answers.