Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened Europe with “serious consequences” if Ukraine is allowed to use long-range precision weapons supplied by the West against Russian territory in the future.
“These NATO representatives, especially in Europe and especially in the small countries, must realize what they are playing with,” he said on Tuesday in the Uzbek capital Tashkent at the end of a state visit.
He hinted at military counterattacks. Smaller countries in particular should not forget that their territory is not large and that it is also densely populated.
Putin, who started Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago, accused the West of continued escalation. Modern weapons systems such as the ATACMS missile complex are not controlled by Ukrainian soldiers, but by highly qualified NATO specialists based on data from satellite reconnaissance, the Russian president claimed.
So far, the weapons have mainly been aimed at Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia.
Putin was particularly critical of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who is in favor of shooting at military targets on Russian territory. Stoltenberg has referred to Ukraine’s right to self-defense.
Ukraine is demanding permission from the US and other Western states to use missiles and cruise missiles to attack Russia and thus fight the enemy more effectively.
So far, Kiev has mainly used drones of its own production for these attacks. So far, the Russian military has been able to gather units behind the border for new attacks on Ukrainian territory or bomb cities near the border, such as Kharkiv, with aircraft from a safe position, virtually without interference.
According to Putin, such an authorization by Western states would amount to a direct confrontation between Russia and the West. In this context, the 71-year-old once again referred to Russia’s strategic nuclear weapons.
He also questioned the possible protection of NATO countries by the US. “If serious consequences for Europe arise, how will the US behave in light of our parity in strategic weapons?” he asked.
Since the war began, Russian leaders have repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons to deter the West from providing more support to Ukraine.
