Putin’s Warning as Ukraine Seeks Long-Range Weapons Amidst Intensifying Conflicts
Image Source: Business Standard
September 13, 2024: On 12th September, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a strong warning to the West, stating that allowing Ukraine to use their long-range weapons to target inside his country would be seen as NATO directly entering the conflict and would escalate to a broader “war” between Russia and NATO.
His remark came in the midst of Ukraine’s ongoing request to ease the rule on firing Western weapons into Russia. “This would, in a significant way, change the very nature of the conflict,” Putin told a state television reporter.
“It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia,” he said. “If that’s the case, then taking into account the change in the nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face.”
On 11th September, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced more than $700 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine during his visit to Kyiv. In a press conference, Blinken said the United States would “adjust, we’ll adapt as necessary, including with regard to the means that are at Ukraine’s disposal to effectively defend against the Russian aggression.”
Ukraine launched a sudden military attack into Russia’s Kursk region on 9th August 2024, advancing into Russian territory and seizing dozens of settlements. This move surprised Moscow, which had to organize a humanitarian response and evacuate civilians. Ukraine claims it doesn’t aim to take over Russian territory but seeks to pressure Moscow in hopes of diverting enemy troops and using this as a bargaining chip in any negotiation. Russia has since responded with a counteroffensive, attempting to retake the territory from Ukraine.
With war continuing, countering each other in the name of defense, Kyiv has requested leniency for the use of long-range weapons, which they claim is for Ukraine’s own defense. Currently, Washington authorizes Ukraine to only hit Russian targets in the occupied parts of Ukraine and some Russian border areas related to Moscow’s combat. “The delay in this process leads to Russia moving these military targets deeper into Russia,” Zelenskyy said. On 11th September, the Kremlin said that it would respond “appropriately” if the restrictions were lifted.
President Joe Biden, fearing the risk of triggering conflict between nuclear-armed Russia and the United States, seems to be hesitant. President Joe Biden is expected to review the Ukrainian requests on 13th September, Friday, in a White House meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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