The shelling of Red Cross vehicles by the Russians is yet another Russian war crime.
The response to this must be harsh, as such crimes are always a response to weakness. pic.twitter.com/Dnos6XLDLO
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) September 12, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO that lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range Western missiles to strike deep inside Russia would be considered an act of war. Putin told reporters on Thursday, “This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia. 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.”
Today, I spoke with Lithuania’s President @gitanasnauseda about our defense.
Our Europe and the European way of life can only be preserved if Ukraine withstands and prevails in this war. I am grateful for the defense assistance packages provided by Lithuania, including the… pic.twitter.com/zbjJCdZIEK
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 12, 2024
His comments come as US and NATO partners show increasing openness to allowing Ukrainian forces to use Western-provided long-range weapons to target Russian military sites, a request Kyiv has made as the war continues into its second year.
Russian missile against a wheat cargo bound for Egypt. Tonight, Russia launched a strike on an ordinary civilian vessel in the Black Sea right after it left Ukrainian territorial waters. Fortunately, there were no casualties, according to preliminary reports.
Ukraine is one of… pic.twitter.com/nNCqNDVfJV
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 12, 2024
During a recent visit to Kyiv, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested the White House is considering lifting restrictions in line with a broader strategic shift among NATO allies. The UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer also visited Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden, which are expected to center on the use of Western weapons against targets in Russia. Just before these discussions, Russia’s security service, the FSB, accused six British diplomats in Moscow of spying and revoked their accreditation, according to Reuters.
“Over the last two years, Russian officials and the state media here have on many occasions accused the West of ‘fighting Russia’ or launching ‘a war’ on Russia. Even though it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.” @BBCSteveR https://t.co/cu6RX32LIH
— Vassili Golod (@VassiliGolod) September 13, 2024
Although the US has adjusted its policy to allow limited cross-border strikes into Russia using US-provided weapons, Biden has yet to approve the use of longer-range systems. US officials have voiced concerns that such actions could escalate the conflict. On Tuesday, the bipartisan congressional Ukraine caucus urged Biden to permit Ukraine to strike inside Russia with long-range weapons.
Putin’s warning to NATO allies
A group of key House Republicans also echoed appeals from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to lift the restrictions. Putin raised doubts about Kyiv’s ability to execute long-range strikes independently, stating, “The Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West” without NATO assistance.
The US already provides intelligence to Ukraine, which could be vital for operating long-range systems. According to Center for a New American Security Senior Fellow Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, there may also be other intelligence resources available to Ukrainian forces, such as commercial satellite imagery.
At a news conference, Blinken alluded to Russia’s acquisition of Iranian ballistic missiles as a form of escalation, asserting that “if anyone is taking escalatory action, it would appear to be Mr. Putin and Russia.”
Ukraine has requested additional long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, which have a maximum range of about 180 miles (290 kilometers). Ukraine has used its existing supply of ATACMS to target high-value Russian assets in occupied Crimea, including air defenses, ammunition depots, and airfields.
Authorizing the use of Western weapons for long-range strikes could enable Ukraine to target close-range ballistic missile systems deployed by Russia. With a range of just 75 miles, a US-made system like ATACMS “could hit anything at that distance and well beyond,” former US ambassador William Courtney, now an adjunct senior fellow at the RAND Corporation, noted.
- CNN.”Russia will be ‘at war’ with NATO if Ukraine long-range missile restrictions lifted, Putin warns”.
- BBC.”Vladimir Putin draws new red line on long-range missiles”.
- TheGuardian.”Starmer tells Putin Russia started Ukraine war and can end it any time”.