⚡Russia will be ‘at war’ with NATO if Ukraine long-range missile restrictions lifted, Putin warns

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO alliance leaders that a move to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range Western missiles to strike deep inside his country would be considered an act of war. (Путин предупредил о последствиях ударов по России дальнобойным оружием)(видео)

💬 “This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us,” Putin told reporters on Thursday.

But Putin on Thursday raised doubts as to whether Kyiv could carry out long-range strikes alone, saying “the Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West” without NATO assistance in targeting.

■ ALLOWING UKRAINE TO USE LONG-RANGE MISSILES SUPPLIED BY THE WEST "MEANS NATO IS AT WAR WITH RUSSIA":

💬 "There is an attempt to substitute concepts. Because we are not talking about authorizing or prohibiting the Kiev regime from striking Russian territory. It already does so with the help of drones and other means. But when it comes to the use of Western-made long-range precision weapons, that's a completely different story.

The fact is that, as I have already mentioned and any experts will confirm this (both in our country and in the West), the Ukrainian army is not capable of striking with modern long-range Western-made precision systems. It cannot do it. This is possible only with the use of intelligence from satellites, which Ukraine does not have - this is data only from satellites of either the European Union or the United States, in general, from NATO satellites. This is the first thing.

The second, and very important, maybe the key one, is that only NATO servicemen can make flight assignments to these missile systems. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this. And so this is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not; it's about deciding that NATO countries are directly involved in a military conflict or not.

If this decision is made, it will mean nothing but direct participation of NATO countries, the United States, European countries in the war in Ukraine. This is their direct participation. And this, of course, significantly changes the very essence, the very nature of the conflict.

It will mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries are at war with Russia. And if that is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be posed to us." (Source)

■ The island called Britain is likely to sink in the next few years (Dmitry Medvedev)
■ Vladimir Putin Does Not Make Empty Threats (Moon of Alabama)
■ Putin issues new warning to NATO (09/12/24)
■ Russia has now issued a DIRECT warning to the United States and to NATO (09/04/24)
■ UK approves Ukrainian missile strikes deep inside Russia – Guardian (09/12/24)
✅ U.S. and UK to Officially Approve Long-range Attacks Into Pre-war Russia (Harold Turner)