Warning Issued Over Allowing Long-Range Missiles to Strike Russian Territory
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an ultimatum to the West, including the United States. He warned that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range missiles would mean direct war with Russia.
According to major foreign media such as The Guardian, on the 12th (local time), President Putin responded to a question from a Russian state broadcaster by saying, "This would mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia," adding, "If that happens, it means the nature of this conflict changes, and we will make appropriate decisions to respond to new threats."
President Putin also emphasized that even if the Ukrainian military acquires Western long-range missiles, they do not have the capability to attack Russia. The Ukrainian forces lack the satellite intelligence necessary to operate high-precision long-range missiles and must rely on satellite data from NATO, the European Union (EU), and the United States, which is tantamount to direct war involvement by Western powers.
Previously, the West had imposed conditions that weapons supplied to Ukraine could not be used to attack Russian mainland, but in May, these restrictions were partially eased to allow strikes on Russian territory for defensive counterattacks. However, Ukraine has not been satisfied and has requested permission to strike deep into Russia’s rear areas with long-range surface-to-surface missiles such as ATACMS, and the West is reportedly discussing partial approval of this.
Regarding this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov raised suspicions in an interview with the Russian daily Izvestia on the same day, suggesting that the West had already decided to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons provided to Ukraine and is currently conducting a ‘disguised discussion.’ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was also reported to have said, "I am confident that the West has already decided to lift restrictions on the use of long-range missiles so that Ukraine can attack Russian territory."
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Russian forces have launched a large-scale counteroffensive to reclaim some territories occupied by Ukrainian forces, including Kursk Oblast in the Russian mainland. Following Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Poland on the same day, avoided giving a definitive answer on lifting restrictions on the use of long-range weapons, saying, "We will adjust as necessary." This issue is expected to be discussed at the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the 13th.
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