President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Russia might supply long-range weapons to others to target Western nations if NATO allies allow Ukraine to use their arms against Russian territory.
Putin also reiterated Moscow’s readiness to use nuclear weapons if it perceives a threat to its sovereignty.
The recent actions by the West could further destabilize international security and lead to “very serious problems,” he stated during a rare interaction with international journalists since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act in the same way,” Putin added.
The United States and Germany recently authorized Ukraine to strike certain targets within Russia using the long-range weapons they have provided to Kyiv.
On Wednesday, a Western official and a U.S. senator revealed that Ukraine has used U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia under new guidelines approved by President Joe Biden, permitting American arms to be used for the limited defense of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The official, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, was not authorized to comment publicly.
Putin claimed that the use of some Western-supplied weapons involves military personnel from those countries controlling the missiles and selecting targets, suggesting that Moscow could take “asymmetrical” actions elsewhere in the world. However, the U.S. military maintains it does not control the missiles it supplies to Ukraine or the targeting decisions.
“If they consider it possible to deliver such weapons to the combat zone to launch strikes on our territory and create problems for us, why shouldn’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same type to regions where they can be used to strike sensitive facilities of the countries that are doing this to Russia?” he said.
“We will think about it,” he mentioned to journalists at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
When asked about the potential use of nuclear arms, Putin pointed to Russia’s security doctrine, which clearly outlines the conditions for their use.
“For some reason, they believe in the West that Russia will never use it,” he remarked.
“Look at what is written there,” he said, referring to Russia’s nuclear doctrine. “If somebody’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible to use all means at our disposal.”
Even Russia’s battlefield nuclear weapons are significantly more powerful than those used by the U.S. against Japan in World War II, Putin noted.
Speaking to senior news leaders from international agencies, including The Associated Press, for over three hours, Putin also stated that Russia-U.S. relations would remain unchanged regardless of whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the upcoming American presidential election.
“We will work with any president the American people elect,” Putin said.
“I say absolutely sincerely, I wouldn’t say that we believe that after the election something will change on the Russian track in American politics,” he added. “We don’t think so. We think nothing that serious will happen.”
Putin also commented on Trump’s recent felony conviction at his hush money trial, describing it as “the use of the court system as part of the internal political struggle.”
The Russian leader faced questions on various topics, but the conflict in Ukraine dominated the session.
Putin claimed the West had opportunities to end the fighting in Ukraine but did not act on them, citing a letter he allegedly wrote to Biden suggesting that hostilities could cease in two or three months if Washington stopped supplying Kyiv with weapons.
Asked about Russian military losses, Putin said no country would disclose such information during ongoing hostilities but asserted, without providing details, that Ukraine’s casualties are five times greater than Russia’s.
He also stated that Ukraine holds over 1,300 Russian troops in captivity, while Russia has more than 6,400 Ukrainian soldiers in custody.
These claims could not be independently verified, and some Western estimates suggest Russia’s losses are much higher than Ukraine’s.
