Putin says Russia could supply long-range weapons to West's enemies in retaliation for supporting Ukraine

Vladimir Putin said Russia could retaliate in the same way against those who allow Ukraine to target Russia with its long-range missiles – by supplying such weapons to countries within range of Western nations.

In broad remarks at his annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, the Russian president sought to insist that Moscow “does not care” about the upcoming U.S. election, asserted that candidate Donald Trump's belief in hush money was “political” and dismissed fears that Russia wants to attack NATO as “nonsense”.

But he warned that the United States and Germany's recent authorization for Ukraine to use their weapons to strike specific Russian targets near Kharkiv could lead to “very serious problems,” calling Berlin's decision “very dangerous measure”.

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“This would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act in the same way,” Putin said during a three-hour meeting with the agencies' editors-in-chief. international press.

Because the use of such Western weapons involves those countries' military personnel controlling the missiles and selecting targets, Mr. Putin said Moscow could take “asymmetric” measures elsewhere in the world.

“If they consider it possible to deliver such weapons to the combat zone to launch strikes on our territory and create problems for us, why do we not have the right to supply weapons of the same type to certain regions of the world where they can be used to launch strikes on sensitive installations of countries that do so to Russia? he said.

“We will think about it,” added Mr. Putin.

The policy shift to allow Ukraine to strike military targets near the Russian border emerged last week and came after Russia launched a new offensive on Kharkiv in early May. In April, it was reported that long-range US ballistic missiles had already been used to strike targets deep within Russian territory.

Despite his remarks on Wednesday, Mr Putin angrily insisted it was “absolutely absurd” to suggest Russia wanted to attack NATO, telling a reporter: “Don't get the image of an enemy of Russia. You're only hurting yourself with this, you understand? You invented that Russia wanted to attack NATO. Have you completely lost your mind? Are you as thick as this table?

And he insisted Russia “doesn’t care” who wins the next US election – saying Moscow believes “nothing serious” will change in Washington’s policy towards Russia whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump be re-elected.

But he acknowledged it was “difficult to say” whether a second Trump presidency might change the situation in Ukraine, adding: “I can't draw a definitive conclusion as to whether anything will change or not.” We must examine the priorities of the future administration.

“No one in the United States is interested in Ukraine, they are interested in the greatness of the United States, which is not fighting for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, but for its own greatness. But if the incoming administration changes its goal-setting strategy… then something might change.”

Speaking as Alexei Navalny's ally Ilya Yashin lost an appeal against his false designation as a “foreign agent”, the Russian president commented on Mr Trump's recent conviction for hush money in claiming that the United States was “burning itself from within, its state, its political system.” “.

He added: “It is obvious around the world that the prosecution of Trump, especially in court on accusations based on events that happened years ago, without direct evidence, is simply using the system judicial in an internal political struggle. .”

Asked about Russia's detention of Wall Street Journal Journalist Evan Gershkovich – one of several journalists victimized by Moscow's brutal crackdown on information following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mr Putin said: “I know the administration The United States is indeed taking vigorous measures for his release.

“But these problems are not solved by the media. They like a calm, peaceful and professional approach and a dialogue between intelligence agencies. Of course, these issues should only be resolved on the basis of reciprocity. The relevant US and Russian agencies are in contact on this issue.”