European leaders yesterday largely rejected Vladimir Putin's warning that the West would enter into direct war with Russia if it allowed Kiev to target Russian territory with long-range Western missiles, while the White House announced that they "take these threats seriously".
The US and Great Britain are considering, in cooperation with other allies, the possibility of allowing Kiev to attack military targets inside Russia using British "storm shadow" missiles, which can hit targets up to 250 kilometers from the launch site.
The Russian president said on Thursday that any Western decision for Kiev to use long-range weapons against targets inside Russia would put NATO at "war" with Moscow. "This would significantly change the very nature of the conflict," Putin said, adding that Russia would make "appropriate decisions based on the threats we will face."
Ukraine's U.S. allies have long refused to give Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the green light to use long-range ballistic missiles against Kremlin forces inside Russia, fearing that Moscow could then escalate the war by targeting a NATO target, such as a key supply hub. with weapons in the Polish city of Žešov.
However, the dynamic has changed dramatically, thanks primarily to a large shipment of Iranian missiles to Russia, which British authorities estimate will provide crucial fire support to Putin, just as his military advances in eastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin announced yesterday that Putin sent a clear message to the West about the consequences he will face if he allows Kiev to attack Russian territory with Western long-range missiles. "President Putin's statement is very important. It is extremely clear, unambiguous and leaves no room for double interpretations. We have no doubt that this statement reached those for whom it was intended," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
However, European leaders downplayed the Russian president's threats yesterday.
"It is necessary to take all events in Ukraine and on the Ukrainian-Russian front very seriously, but I would not attach excessive importance to the latest statements of President Putin," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. "They rather show the difficult situation in which the Russians are at the front," he added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also reacted to Putin's warning: “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict immediately. Ukraine has the right to self-defense."
Putin sent the latest threat ahead of yesterday's meeting between Starmer and US President Joe Biden in Washington. Before the meeting, the White House announced that they do not plan to change their policy regarding Ukraine and the use of long-range weapons.
"There is no change in our position on providing Ukraine with long-range strike capabilities inside Russia," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Commenting on Putin's warning, Kirby said that "this is not rhetoric we haven't heard from him before", but he added that "he has clearly shown a capacity for aggression... so, yes, we take these comments seriously".
Yesterday, the New York Times, citing European officials, announced that Washington could approve the use of long-range missiles against targets in Russia, provided that the weapons are not from the United States.
A Reuters source said that a decision on whether Kiev can use British missiles could be made at the United Nations General Assembly, which begins on September 24.
A senior diplomat from Eastern Europe, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Guardian that there should be no restrictions on the use of weapons. "According to international law, a country has the right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against the aggression of another country as it sees fit," the diplomat said. "The very fact that military support to Ukraine comes with limitations is actually a problem."
The source added: "We are witnessing increasing Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, more and more hybrid actions against allies and more and more drones and missiles entering NATO airspace on the eastern flank - Latvia, Poland, Romania."
Canada also announced yesterday that it supports Ukraine in using long-range weapons to "prevent and disrupt Russia's continued ability to destroy Ukrainian civilian infrastructure." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that Putin was trying to destabilize the rules-based international order, adding: "That's why Canada and others are unequivocal that Ukraine must win this war against Russia." NB
Russia expels British diplomats
Russia's FSB intelligence service said yesterday it had revoked the credentials of six British diplomats in Moscow after accusing them of espionage and sabotage, underscoring the Kremlin's anger at what it sees as London's key role in helping Ukraine.
Britain has described the accusations as "completely baseless", saying they are actually revenge after the UK expelled the Russian attache in May and revoked diplomatic status for several Russian properties.
The FSB said it has documents showing that Britain's Eastern Europe and Central Asia department in London coordinated "the escalation of the political and military situation" and was in charge of ensuring Russia's strategic defeat in the war against Ukraine. "Disclosed information provides the basis that the activities of British diplomats sent to Moscow by this department are considered threatening to the security of the Russian Federation," the FSB statement said.
London claims that Russian accusations against its diplomats are baseless.
"The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of six British diplomats in Russia last month, after the British government took action in response to Russian state-directed activity across Europe and in the UK," a British Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement. "We will not apologize for protecting our national interests."
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