'Strikes deep inside Russia ... will mean US and Europe are at war with Russia': Vladimir Putin

Moscow [Russia]: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the West would be directly involved in the conflict if it permitted Ukraine to strike Russian territory using Western long-range weapons, stressing that such an action would change the very "essence and nature" of the conflict.

Putin Issues Warning Ahead of UK-US Talks on Missile Use

The Russian leader's remarks came ahead of a crucial meeting on Friday between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden at the White House. The talks are set to focus on whether to allow Kyiv to deploy long-range missiles against Russia.

Zelenskyy Pushes for Authorisation of Long-Range Strikes in Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging the Biden administration and other Western governments to authorise long-range missile strikes in Russia, aiming to increase pressure on Moscow to end the conflict.

Putin: Ukrainian Military Can't Use Western Long-Range Systems Alone

Putin, when questioned about the possibility of Ukraine being allowed to conduct such strikes, pointed out that Kyiv has already been attacking Russian territory with drones and other means. However, he stressed that using Western-made long-range precision weapons was a "completely different story."

"Using Western-made long-range precision weapons is a completely different story. The fact is that the Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West," Putin said.

Only NATO Can Control Missile Systems, Says Putin

He explained that Ukraine lacks the intelligence data from satellites necessary to operate these systems, which can only be provided by NATO satellites. "This can only be done using the European Union's satellites or US satellites – in general, NATO satellites," he remarked.

Putin emphasised that the involvement of NATO military personnel was essential for the operation of these systems. "Only NATO military personnel can assign flight missions to these missile systems. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this," he said, underlining that this was not about allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory but whether NATO countries would directly engage in the conflict.

Russia to Make ‘Appropriate Decisions’ if West Crosses Line

Responding to a media query, Putin warned that any Western decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russia would signify direct Western involvement in the conflict. He stressed that Russia would respond accordingly.

"If this decision is made, it will mean nothing short of direct involvement – it will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are parties to the war in Ukraine," Putin warned. "This will clearly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict dramatically."

Essence of Conflict Will Change if NATO Engages Directly

He concluded by stating that Russia would make "appropriate decisions" in response to the new threats posed if the West crossed that line.

(With ANI inputs)