Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson slammed the US today after Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles against Russia.
After months of pleading from Kyiv, the US president finally allowed Ukraine to use the US-supplied weapons – with a range of up to 190 miles – to fire at targets beyond Russia’s borders.
The UK and France are now expected to follow suit, and allow Kyiv to use their own shadow storm missiles with a range of up to 155 miles.
While the Russian president himself has not yet addressed the reports, the Kremlin’s spokesperson claimed this would lead to a “rise in tension” between Russia and the West.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, Dmitry Peskov told journalists: “This totally just changes the modality of their involvement in the conflict.”
He said this is “the danger and provocation of this situation”.
He added: “The fact is that these strikes are not carried out by Ukraine, these strikes are carried out by those countries that give permission, because targeting, other maintenance is not done by Ukrainian servicemen, it is done by military specialists from these very Western countries.”
His comments follow major worries that allowing Kyiv to use these weapons would pull the West into direct conflict with the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was much less forthcoming, and just told journalists: “The president has already spoken on this matter.”
Putin warned in September that if the US did grant Ukraine the use of long-range missiles, Russia would see it as the “direct participation” of Nato countries in the Ukraine war.
He added: “This would mean that Nato countries... are fighting with Russia.”
Putin also altered Russia’s nuclear doctrine in October, altering the rules which decide when Moscow might be able to use their nuclear weapons.
He said in June that, if Ukraine’s allies would give Kyiv long-range missiles, Moscow would first improve their own air defence systems – then may look to arm Western enemies in retaliation.
Putin said: “Why can’t we supply our weapons of the same class to those regions around the world where they will target sensitive facilities of the countries that are doing this to Russia?”