Russia warns the US and NATO of the possibility of war if long-range strike bans are lifted for Ukraine.
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning against the U.S. and its NATO allies, stating that they risk being "at war" with Moscow if Ukraine is allowed to use long-range weapons to hit targets inside Russia.
Voldymyr Zelenskyy has been urging the U.S. and NATO for several months to lift any limitations on Kyiv's access to Western-made long-range weapons and allow it to target military objectives in Russia.
On Thursday, Putin stated that a red line had been crossed, implying that NATO countries, the U.S., and European countries were now at war with Russia.
He added that if the conflict's essence has changed, we will make decisions based on the threats that will arise, according to a translation posted by NBC News.
Putin did not specify what actions Russia would take against the West if Washington and London lifted their sanctions, but the Kremlin leader has consistently used heightened rhetoric in his war strategy to discourage Western support for Ukraine.
"Dan Hoffman, the former CIA Moscow station chief, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that Putin's war in Ukraine has been a massive failure, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties, a brain drain, and a million Russians fleeing. However, Putin was successful in using rhetorical nuclear brinkmanship and other threats to try and prevent the Biden administration from providing Ukraine with the necessary support to defend themselves."
He makes these threats because they are effective," Hoffman contended. "We should not be controlling how Ukrainians wage their war.
Both sides of the aisle have argued that the U.S. and NATO should arm Kyiv in its war against Russia, as many believe Putin will not stop with his deadly ambitions in Europe if he gains a win in Ukraine.
If Biden and Starmer agree to lift strike bans on Friday, it is uncertain whether Putin will escalate the war beyond Russia and Ukraine's borders.
Since 2022, Russian officials have been issuing warnings that the U.S. would become "a party to the conflict" by providing Ukraine with defensive aid, while drawing "red lines."
On Thursday, while on his flight to D.C., Starmer responded to Putin's perceived threat and told a Guardian reporter, "Russia initiated this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia has the power to end this conflict immediately. Ukraine has the right to self-defense."
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