Russia has reported that the West has agreed to allow Ukraine to strike the Russian mainland and has warned that it will respond accordingly.
On the 12th (local time), Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, claimed in an interview with the Russian daily Izvestia that the West has already decided to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons provided to Ukraine and is currently conducting "disguised discussions."
Spokesperson Peskov made these remarks in response to media reports that the West, including the United States, is considering allowing weapons supplied to Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory.
He emphasized, "This will significantly increase the level of intervention by collective Western countries in the Ukraine war," adding, "Of course, Russia will respond accordingly."
Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister, also held a meeting with ambassadors stationed in Russia regarding the Ukraine issue on the same day and told TASS news agency that he "does not doubt that the West has already decided to lift restrictions on the use of long-range missiles so that Ukraine can attack Russian territory."
Lavrov claimed that the West is struggling to announce this decision to the public in a more "beautiful and elegant" manner.
The West had imposed conditions that weapons provided to Ukraine could not be used to attack the Russian mainland but partially eased these restrictions in May. It allowed strikes on Russian territory for defensive counterattacks.
Since then, Ukraine has requested permission to strike the Russian rear with long-range surface-to-surface missiles such as ATACMS. Reports indicate that the West is discussing partially allowing this.
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