President Vladimir Putin has warned that if Western nations allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike inside Russia then it will mean NATO would be “at war” with his country.
“This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict. It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia,” Putin told Russian state TV on Thursday.
Putin stated, “If this occurs, given the fundamental shift in the nature of the conflict, we will make decisions based on the new threats posed to us.”
His remarks come ahead of a meeting in Washington, DC, on Friday between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden. They are expected to discuss whether to approve Ukraine’s request to strike targets inside Russia, amid growing concerns over the heavy losses Ukraine has faced on the battlefield.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged Western allies to lift restrictions on long-range weapons, enabling his forces to target Russian airfields, ammunition depots, and command centers, thereby increasing the costs of the invasion for Moscow.
En route to the US, Starmer told reporters, “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict immediately. Ukraine has the right to self-defense,” according to British media reports.
This is expected to be the final meeting between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer before Biden’s term ends and the upcoming US presidential election in November. The election will see Democrat Kamala Harris facing off against Republican Donald Trump.
During a recent debate with Harris, Trump, who has been non-committal about the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, simply stated, “I want the war to stop.”
President Biden announced that he is “working” on Ukraine’s request for further support as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy made a rare joint visit to Kyiv. During their visit, they unveiled $1.5 billion in additional aid for Ukraine.
Blinken concluded a European tour focused on Ukraine in Poland on Thursday. Throughout the trip, he received numerous appeals from Ukrainian officials to allow the use of Western-supplied weapons for long-range strikes inside Russia.
“Given the changes in Russia’s actions and the evolving battlefield, we have adapted our approach,” Blinken said at a news conference in Warsaw.
President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use US-provided missiles for cross-border strikes into Russia in self-defense, but has restricted the range of these missiles.
Ukraine has specifically requested the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) from the US. However, the Pentagon has indicated that ATACMS would not effectively counter the primary threat Ukraine faces from long-range Russian glide bombs, which are fired from distances exceeding 300 km (186 miles)—beyond the ATACMS range.
On Friday, Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of NATO member Poland, which borders Ukraine, downplayed concerns over Putin’s comments. “While it is important to take all developments in Ukraine and on the Ukrainian-Russian front seriously, I would not place excessive significance on President Putin’s latest statements,” Tusk said at a news conference.
“They mainly highlight the tough situation the Russians are facing on the front,” Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski commented.
Sikorski had earlier argued that Kyiv should be permitted to use Western weapons for self-defense, citing Russia’s alleged war crimes against civilian targets. “Missiles hitting these civilian areas are launched from bomber aircraft operating from Russian territory,” Sikorski noted.
Russian forces have intensified their pressure in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region and have increased air attacks across the country. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its offensive in Russia’s Kursk region following a surprise cross-border incursion on August 6. On Thursday, President Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian troops are launching a counteroffensive in response.
