Vladimir Putin has warned the U.S. and NATO would be ‘at war’ with Russia if the West lets Ukraine use long-range missiles.
US and British foreign ministers met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday with the war at a pivotal point.
American officials have also been discussing easing restrictions on the use of weapons that could strike deep inside Russia.
WHAT PUTIN SAID
Putin said the move from the West would ‘change the very nature of the conflict’, and issued a severe threat against giving Zelensky more firepower.
‘It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia,’ he told a state TV reporter on Thursday.
‘If that’s the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face.’
He added that clearing the way for Ukraine to use missiles that can hit Russian targets ‘is a decision on whether NATO countries are directly involved in the conflict or not”.
Putin’s warning came 24 hours before President Joe Biden is set to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House.
UKRAINE WANTS MORE FIREPOWER
Zelensky has put pressure on the West to give him more firepower and air defenses after a series of Russian rocket attacks.
Antony Blinken announced Washington would provide more than $700 million in aid, while foreign secretary David Lammy said Britain would stump up a further £600 million ($781 million) in the latest show of support for Kyiv.
