Friday, 18 October 2024

Putin claims he will arm America's enemies after US weapons used by Ukraine to strike into Russia


On Thursday, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin is contemplating supplying weapons to adversaries of Western nations in retaliation to the West's provision of Ukraine with weapons to attack Russian territory.

Putin said that this would include sending the West's enemies sophisticated long-range weapons, which would be similar to the weapons that are currently being provided to Ukraine by the United States and Great Britain, Reuters reports.

"We are thinking that if someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a war zone in order to strike at our territory and create problems for us, then why do we not have the right to supply our weapons of the same class to those regions of the world where there will be strikes on sensitive facilities of those countries that are doing this to Russia?" Putin said during a Wednesday press brief with international news agencies.

"So the response could be symmetrical," said Putin. "We will think about this."

When reporters asked Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, on Thursday if the Kremlin would list the countries and territories to which Russia would deliver weaponry, Peskov declined to answer.

"It's a very important statement that is very transparent that the supply of weapons that will be fired at us cannot go without consequences, and those consequences are certain to come," said Peskov.

Peskov said the Kremlin believes Western nations have heard Putin's warning and are in discussions about the threat.

He further asserted that the West "need to reckon with us and our position. We won't compromise our interests."

Last month, sources informed Reuters that President Joe Biden ordered Ukraine to shoot US-supplied weaponry at military targets within Russia. However, Washington continues to forbid Kyiv from using long-range US-supplied weapons, such as the ATACMS, which have a maximum range of 186 miles, against Russia. Biden told ABC News on Thursday that American weapons would not be used to strike Russia, but the president's claim is under dispute.

During a visit to Kyiv on May 3, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told Reuters that Ukraine had the right to use the weapons that Britain had provided to strike targets within Russia, but it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

Deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev took aim at the United States and wrote on his telegram channel on Thursday: "Let the US and its allies now feel the direct use of Russian weapons by third parties. These persons or regions are intentionally not named, but they could be anyone who considers Pindostan and its comrades to be their enemies."

"Regardless of their political beliefs and international recognition. Their enemy is the US, so they are our friends," said Medvedev.

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