18:20, 12 September 2024Source: Meduza

Ukraine’s strikes with high-precision Western weapons on Russian territory would mean that NATO countries are directly participating in the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

According to Putin, the Ukrainian Armed Forces themselves are not capable of carrying out such strikes – this can only happen using data from NATO satellites, which Ukraine does not have. In addition, Putin believes, only the alliance’s military personnel “can enter flight missions into these missile systems.”

 “[When we talk about the decision to allow such strikes,] we are talking about making a decision about whether NATO countries are directly participating in a military conflict or not,” Putin said.

According to Putin, if the decision is made, it will “change the very essence, the nature of the conflict,” and it will mean that NATO countries are at war with Russia.

Vladimir Putin has previously repeatedly expressed the opinion that NATO countries are actually participating in the war. “In terms of the presence of advisers and instructors, there is nothing new here. They are present on Ukrainian territory,” he said, in particular, in June. At that time, he also expressed confidence that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could not control the ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles themselves.

Previously, Western countries did not allow Ukraine to strike internationally recognized Russian territory with high-precision long-range systems that they supply to Kyiv. However, following the visit of British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, London probably lifted this restriction – this was not officially reported, but The Guardian reported this with reference to sources. During the visit, Blinken hinted that the US could lift the ban on similar use of ATACMS.

(C)MEDUZA 2024