Kremlin official threatens war against NATO if Ukraine uses US weapons against Russia

A senior Russian official said his country could go to war with NATO if Ukraine strikes inside Russia with American weapons.

President Joe Biden on Thursday partially lifted restrictions on how Ukraine can use military supplies sent by the United States.

In response, Russia's top security official, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a series of warnings to the West.

“Russia considers that all long-range weapons used by Ukraine are already directly controlled by the militaries of NATO countries. This is not military assistance, but participation in a war against us,” Medvedev said.

“And such actions could well become a casus belli [an act that provokes a war]”.

He said it would be a “fatal mistake” for the West to think Russia is not ready to use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine – and raised the possibility of striking unnamed hostile countries with strategic nuclear weapons.

“Unfortunately, this is neither intimidation nor bluffing,” said Mr. Medvedev.

He said that the conflict between Moscow and the West was developing according to the worst-case scenario and that “no one today can exclude that the conflict will move to its final stage.”

Read more: Latest updates on the Ukraine-Russia war

Partially lifted US restrictions mean Ukraine can use US weapons to strike inside Russia, but only to defend Kharkiv.

However, U.S. officials stressed that Ukraine still cannot use long-range missiles and other U.S. munitions to carry out offensive strikes inside Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others have become increasingly clear that U.S. restrictions are preventing Ukrainian forces from defending themselves as Russia steps up attacks around the northeastern Kharkiv region.

A Putin-backed think tank also suggested Thursday that Russia should consider a “demonstrative” nuclear explosion to deter Ukraine from using Western weapons on its territory.

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Mr. Medvedev, the senior Russian official responsible for Friday's threats, frequently makes serious threats against Ukraine and the West, often invoking Russian nuclear weapons.

Some commentators even say his extravagant statements may be designed to ensure he is not seen as a statesman and therefore a threat to Mr Putin's authority.

Although many do not attach much importance to his threats, they could give an idea of ​​what the Kremlin is thinking, diplomats say.