Russia says Putin sent clear message to West about long-range missiles for Ukraine

MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin has sent a clear message to the West about the consequences he faces if he allows Ukraine to strike Russian territory with long-range Western missiles, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Putin said Thursday that the West would fight Russia directly if it allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles, a move he said would change the nature and scope of the conflict.

“The statement made yesterday by President Putin is very important. It is extremely clear, unambiguous and does not allow for double readings. We have no doubt that this statement reached those for whom it was intended,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been pleading for months with kyiv’s allies to let Ukraine fire Western missiles, including long-range American ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadows missiles, deep into Russian territory to limit Moscow’s ability to launch attacks.

US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will discuss whether to give the green light to such strikes during talks in Washington on Friday.

On Thursday, Putin said that such a decision would directly draw into the war the countries that supply Kiev with long-range missiles. He added that satellite targeting data and programming of missile flight trajectories should be provided by NATO military personnel, as kyiv does not have the necessary capabilities.

“If this decision is made, it will mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine,” he said, and Russia would be forced to make “appropriate decisions.”

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, writing by Mark Trevelyan, editing by Peter Graff)