Great Britain Putin: Western arms release means NATO participation in war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has interpreted a possible Ukrainian deployment of Western long-range precision weapons against targets deep inside Russian territory as NATO involvement in the war. "This will mean that the countries of NATO, the USA and the European countries will be fighting with Russia," said the Kremlin leader in response to a question from a journalist in St. Petersburg. Putin went on to explain that this would change the nature of the war. "We will make appropriate decisions based on the threats we will face," he said, without giving details.

Kiev, which is supported by the West, has long been demanding that the USA and the UK allow the deployment of long-range missiles deep inside Russian territory. The Ukrainians' declared aim is to disrupt Russian logistics and attack Russian air force airfields far beyond the Russian-Ukrainian border.

According to official statements, the USA is limiting the use of its weapons against Russia to repelling the Russian offensive against the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The government in the UK has not yet made any concrete statements on the question of what exactly it is allowing Ukraine to do with the weapons it has provided.

Putin: Ukraine cannot carry out such strikes without help

Putin based his conclusions on the fact that the Ukrainian army is not capable of carrying out such strikes without outside help. "This is only possible with reconnaissance data from satellites of either the European Union or the United States, i.e. NATO satellites," said Putin. Ukraine does not have such reconnaissance means at its disposal.

Moreover, according to Putin, only NATO soldiers are capable of such missions. "Members of the Ukrainian army cannot do that," the Kremlin leader emphasized. Therefore, it was not a question of whether Kiev would be allowed to use these weapons or not. "The issue is whether or not a decision will be made for the NATO countries to become directly involved in the armed conflict," said the Russian President.

Russia invaded Ukraine over two and a half years ago and lays claim to more than a fifth of Ukrainian territory. As far as is known, the Ukrainian military only has Western missiles and cruise missiles with a maximum range of 300 kilometers. According to the US, however, the Russian air force has already deployed its aircraft beyond the range of these weapons. US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are expected to meet in Washington on Friday to discuss the weapons release.

SDA