President Vladimir Putin said he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the US and its European allies. He said this in response to the US allowing Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory with long-range Western weapons.
Putin said this in his first face-to-face meeting with editors of international news agencies since the war in Ukraine began. He added that the West was wrong to assume Russia would never use nuclear weapons. He added that the Kremlin’s nuclear doctrine should not be taken lightly.
Putin says striking Russia will be a serious escalation
The Russian leader was asked about NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg’s statement to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike Russia. Putin differentiated between different missiles but warned that allowing Kyiv to strike Russia with ever more powerful weapons was a serious escalation. He added that this would draw the West into a war with Russia.
The 71-year-old Kremlin chief said Russia would shoot down Western missiles. He mentioned U.S. ATACMS, British and French missile systems. He added that Moscow was considering deploying similar high-technology, long-range missiles. This would strike down states that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with such missiles.
“If we see that these countries are being drawn into a war against the Russian Federation, then we reserve the right to act in the same way. In general, this is a path to very serious problems.”
Putin did not give specifics of where he was considering delivering such missiles.
Biden has authorised Kyiv to strike military targets within Russia
President Biden authorized Kyiv to launch US-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia. Washington still prohibits Kyiv from striking Russia with ATACMS. ATACMS has a range of up to 186 miles (300 km), and other long-range U.S.-supplied weapons.
British foreign secretary David Cameron said Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia. It was up to Kyiv to decide whether to do so.
Putin spoke to journalists for more than three hours at the newly built 81-floor Gazprom tower ahead of the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. He touched on subjects from the war in Gaza to the upcoming US election.
Putin believes court was used against Donald Trump
Putin said Russia did not care who the next US president was. However, he added Trump was being used in a political battle against Donald Trump.
“It is obvious all over the world that the prosecution of Trump, especially in court on charges that were formed on the basis of events that happened years ago, without direct proof, is simply using the judicial system in an internal political struggle.”
With inputs from Reuters
