Putin Warns West About Ukraine Using Long-Range Weapons
Moscow [Russia], September 13: Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that if the West allows Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike Russian territory, it would mean direct involvement in the conflict. He emphasized that this would change the very essence and nature of the conflict.
Putin’s comments came a day before a meeting between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden at the White House, where they will discuss whether to permit Kyiv to use long-range missiles against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging Western governments to authorize such strikes to pressure Moscow to end the conflict.
Putin argued that the Ukrainian army cannot use advanced long-range systems without intelligence from NATO satellites and that only NATO personnel can assign flight missions to these missile systems. He warned that allowing Ukraine to use these weapons would mean NATO countries are directly involved in the conflict.
At a joint press conference in Poland, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski reiterated their support for Ukraine. Sikorski emphasized the importance of increasing pressure on Russia and lifting the ban on using long-range weapons.
Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine needs long-range capabilities to motivate Russia to seek peace. The US has pledged an additional USD 250 million in military aid for Ukraine, with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announcing the support at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
Amid the ongoing war, Ukrainian forces are advancing in the Donbass region, while Putin has declared capturing the eastern area as his primary objective.
Doubts Revealed
Putin -: Vladimir Putin is the President of Russia, a large country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.
West -: In this context, ‘West’ refers to Western countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and other European nations.
Ukraine -: Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe that has been in conflict with Russia since 2014.
Long-Range Weapons -: Long-range weapons are powerful tools that can hit targets far away, sometimes hundreds of kilometers.
UK Prime Minister -: The UK Prime Minister is the leader of the United Kingdom, a country in Europe. Keir Starmer is the current Prime Minister.
US President -: The US President is the leader of the United States, a country in North America. Joe Biden is the current President.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy -: Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine, the country in conflict with Russia.
Military Aid -: Military aid is help given by one country to another, usually in the form of money, weapons, or training for soldiers.
USD 250 million -: USD 250 million means 250 million US dollars, which is a lot of money. The US is giving this amount to help Ukraine.