Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning that the U.S. and NATO would be in direct conflict with Russia if the West permits Ukraine to deploy long-range missiles. On Wednesday, U.S. and British foreign ministers held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, as the war reached a critical juncture.
Meanwhile, American officials have been considering loosening restrictions on weapons capable of targeting areas deep within Russian territory. The Russian dictator said that allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles would "change the very nature of the conflict" and issued a stern warning against providing Zelensky with additional firepower. Russia has been at war with Ukraine for more than two-and-a-half years.
Putin Threatens to Attack US
"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," Putin added.
Putin stressed that allowing Ukraine to use missiles capable of targeting Russian locations " 'is a decision on whether NATO countries are directly involved in the conflict or not'."
His warning came just a day before President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House.
Zelensky has been urging the West to supply additional weaponry and air defenses in response to a series of Russian rocket attacks.
In response, Antony Blinken announced that Washington would provide over $700 million in aid, while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy revealed that the UK would contribute an additional $781 million as part of its ongoing support for Kyiv.
It remains to be seen whether Zelensky will achieve his main objective -- securing approval from both the White House and Downing Street to start using Western-supplied long-range missiles against targets in Russia.
Fate of War Uncertain
If the ban is lifted by Ukraine's Western allies, Ukrainian forces could potentially target Russian military assets up to 190 miles inside Russian territory with weapons such as the US ATACMS and the Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles.
This capability could greatly influence the direction of the conflict.
Last month, the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, identified nearly 250 high-priority military and paramilitary targets that Ukraine could potentially strike with these weapons.
Key targets on this list include up to 16 Russian air bases, several brigade and division headquarters, artillery and missile units crucial to Russia's air defense, and various logistics centers supporting Putin's frontline troops.
Striking these strategic locations could severely disrupt Russian logistics, command, and combat support, significantly diminishing Moscow's offensive capabilities in the Ukrainian territories it occupies—even if Russia relocates its most critical bombers further east.
The Kursk nuclear power plant and several nuclear weapons storage sites also present potential targets.
Ukraine has already carried out several deep strikes into Russia, hitting locations in Moscow, various oil refineries, and ammunition depots.
However, these attacks have relied on kamikaze drones, which have limited effectiveness and are highly vulnerable to Russian jamming and air defense systems.
