Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that NATO allowing Ukraine to use longer-range missiles to strike inside his country would be seen by Moscow as the military alliance's direct entry into the war.
Putin's comments come as US and Western governments appear increasingly open to the possibility of lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of US-provided long-range weapons systems, which Kyiv has openly asked for, more than two years into Russia's invasion.
"This will mean that NATO countries - the United States and European countries - are at war with Russia," Putin told reporters on Thursday, September 12
"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 added.
Putin also raised doubts about 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.
The United States already provides intelligence to Ukraine and has previously assisted in the targeting, although not with the long-range systems currently being considered.
Although the US has shifted its policy to allow limited cross-border strikes into Russia using US-provided weapons, President Joe Biden's administration has yet to allow longer-range strikes.
During a recent visit to Kyiv, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered the strongest suggestion that the White House could lift restrictions in line with a strategic shift.
"From day one, as you heard me say, we have adjusted and adapted as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed, and I have no doubt that we'll continue to do that as this evolves," Blinken said, alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Blinken said he discussed the restrictions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and would report back to President Biden.
Biden is facing pressure at home from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to ease the restrictions as Ukraine struggles to consolidate its advances in the Kursk region of Russia.
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