Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if Western countries allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory using Western-made long-range missiles, it would bring NATO directly into the conflict, Reuters reports.
Putin argued that Ukraine lacks the technical capability to launch such missiles independently, implying that NATO personnel would need to be involved to assist with targeting, thus directly engaging them in the war. He stated that this involvement would change the nature of the war, leading to direct participation by NATO, the US, and European countries. He hinted that Russia would respond accordingly but did not specify how.
The comments come as Ukraine continues to request long-range missiles from its allies to limit Russia’s attack capabilities. Putin framed the war as an existential battle between Russia’s sphere of influence and the West, while the West described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an imperial-style land grab.
