MOSCOW, Sept 13 (Askume) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a clear message to the West that Russia will face consequences if it allows Ukraine to use Western long-range missiles to attack Russian territory, the Kremlin said on Friday.
Putin said on Thursday that if the West allowed Ukraine to use Western-made long-range missiles to attack Russian territory, it would lead to a direct war with Russia . He said the measure would change the nature and scope of the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “The statement issued by President Putin yesterday is very important. It is very clear and unambiguous and cannot be read a second time. We have no doubt that this statement has been conveyed to those who wrote it.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky has for months urged Kiev’s allies to allow Ukraine to launch Western missiles, including US long-range missiles and British Storm Shadow missiles, into Russian territory to limit Moscow’s strike capabilities.
US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet in Washington on Friday to discuss whether to authorise such a strike.
Putin said on Thursday that the move would directly drag into the war the countries that provide Kiev with long-range missiles. He said satellite targeting data and the programming of missile flight paths should be provided by NATO military personnel, as Kiev does not have such capabilities on its own.
He added that “if this decision is made, it will be tantamount to direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine” and that Russia would be forced to take “appropriate decisions”.
