Putin warns against supplying weapons to Western enemies with range to target cities

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned today that Moscow could provide long-range weapons to other countries to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Mr. Putin reaffirmed that Russia is ready to resort to nuclear weapons if it sees a threat to its sovereignty.

The West's recent actions will further undermine international security and could lead to “very serious problems”, he told reporters.

“This would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act in the same way,” Mr. Putin added.

The United States and Germany recently authorized Ukraine to strike certain targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they supply to kyiv.

On Wednesday, a U.S. senator said Ukraine used U.S. weapons to strike in Russia, consistent with guidelines recently approved by President Joe Biden that allow the weapons to be used for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, the second-largest large city in Ukraine.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said earlier this week that Ukraine had the right to use weapons supplied by Britain to strike targets in Russia and that it was up to Ukraine to decide to do it.

Mr. Putin claimed that the use of certain Western-supplied weapons implies that military personnel from those countries control the missiles and select targets, and he therefore said that 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.”

It did not specify where it planned to deliver such missiles.

Asked whether Russia could resort to nuclear weapons, Mr. Putin replied that the conditions for using this arsenal are set out in Moscow's security doctrine.

“For some reason the West believes Russia will never use it,” he said.

“If someone’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible to use all means at our disposal.”

Fighting continues to rage in the Kharkiv region, near Ukraine's northern border with Russia.