Putin warns that Russia could arm enemies of Western countries that supply weapons to Ukraine

CNN
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western countries that they are taking a “very serious and dangerous step” by supplying weapons to Ukraine, which could lead Moscow to arm their enemies.

Ukraine has relied heavily on weapons supplied by its Western allies to repel Russian forces since Putin's full-scale invasion began more than two years ago. And last week, US President Joe Biden for the first time authorized kyiv to use US munitions to carry out limited strikes inside Russian territory, after several European countries lifted restrictions on the use of weapons that they provide.

“Providing weapons to a conflict zone is always a bad thing,” Putin told editors of international news agencies on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual economic forum in St. Petersburg. “Especially if it is linked to the fact that those who supply them not only deliver weapons, but manage them. »

Putin also warned that Russia could retaliate if Western countries were directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict.

“Ultimately, if we find that these countries are involved in a war against us, and what they are doing directly involves them in a war against the Russian Federation, we reserve the right to act in the same way. way,” he said. “Overall, this leads to serious problems.”

And he raised the prospect of retaliation, asking why Russia “would not have the right to supply our weapons of the same class to the regions of the world where there will be strikes on the sensitive installations of the countries that are doing this against Russia “. ?”

The Ukrainian military has begun using U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems to strike Russian air defense systems, weapons depots and other military targets on Russian territory, an official told CNN on Wednesday. member of the Ukrainian Parliament.

Yehor Cherniev, deputy chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's national security, defense and intelligence committee, said US weapons had allowed them to “significantly reduce the bombing of Kharkiv by Russian S-300 missiles.”

In his comments Wednesday, Putin said Russia would improve its air defense systems to destroy incoming missiles.

He also criticized Berlin, following remarks last week by French and German leaders that Ukraine should be allowed to use its weapons against targets in Russia from which Moscow attacks Ukraine.

The appearance of German tanks in Ukraine caused an “ethical shock” in Russia, where the attitude towards Germany was previously “very good”, Putin said.

“Now when they say that more missiles will appear and hit targets on Russian territory, this of course will ultimately destroy Russian-German relations,” he added.

Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron on May 28, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Ukraine was allowed to defend itself as long as it respected the conditions imposed by arms-supplying countries – including the United States. United – and international law.

“Ukraine has every opportunity under international law for what it is doing. This must be said explicitly,” Scholz said. “I find it strange that some say he should not be allowed to defend himself and take appropriate action.”

Ukraine had been begging Washington for months to allow it to strike targets on Russian soil with American weapons, as Moscow launched a brutal air and ground attack on Kharkiv, knowing its troops could retreat to Russian soil to regroup and that its weapons depots could not be destroyed. targeted by Western weapons.

The United States stands firm and will not allow Ukraine to use the most formidable munitions it has been given to fire on Russia: the long-range missiles known as ATACMS, capable of reaching targets located 300 kilometers (nearly 200 miles) away.

Instead, Ukraine can only use shorter-range missiles, known as GMLRS, which have a range of about 70 kilometers (about 40 miles).