The Kremlin threatens the United States over the authorization of long-range missile strikes
Kyiv • UNN
Peskov said that allowing the United States to launch missiles deep into Russia would mean direct US involvement in the conflict. France and the EU are also considering allowing Ukraine to strike at Russian military targets.
The Russian dictator's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on Monday that any US decision to allow Ukraine to launch US missiles deep into Russian territory would mean that the United States is directly involved in the conflict. He blamed the administration of President Joe Biden for the escalation in Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Asked about reports by the New York Times and Reuters that the Biden administration has decided to launch long-range strikes on Russian territory, Peskov said that these reports are not based on any official statement. "If such a decision was indeed formulated and communicated to the Kyiv regime, then this is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation in terms of the United States' involvement in this conflict," Peskov said.
According to him, Putin, speaking in September in St. Petersburg, made Russia's position absolutely clear. On September 12, the Russian dictator said that the West's approval of such a step would mean "direct participation of NATO, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine" because NATO military infrastructure and personnel would have to participate in targeting and launching missiles.
"It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps to continue to add fuel to the fire and continue to provoke tensions around this conflict," Peskov said.
One Russian official close to the Kremlin, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the US move, if confirmed, would be extremely provocative for the current administration, but would not change the outcome of the war.
Addendum
France, which has provided Ukraine with long-range missiles, made it clear on Monday that allowing Ukraine to strike military targets on Russian territory remains an option on the agenda.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell wants to urge EU member states to allow Ukraine to use weapons to carry out strikes inside Russia.
Recall
In late October, Putin said that the Russian Defense Ministry was working on various options for retaliation if the United States and its NATO allies helped Ukraine strike deep into Russia with Western long-range missiles.
