Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered what appeared to be a veiled threat against allies of Ukraine on Wednesday, suggesting Russia could supply long-range weapons to its own allies in order to strike Western targets.
Giving a rare interview with international journalists at a press conference in St Petersburg, Putin said that if NATO allies could supply weapons to Ukraine for war, he could do the same with his arsenal and hand them out to other countries keen to attack to the West.
“We are thinking that, 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 don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same type to some regions of the world where they can be used to launch strikes on sensitive facilities of the countries that do it to Russia?” he said.
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“Of course, such actions will finally... they have already reached the highest degree of degradation, but they will completely destroy international relations and undermine international security,” Putin continued.
“And ultimately, if we see that these countries are being drawn into war against us, and this is their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, then we reserve the right to act the same way.”
It comes after Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, confirmed U.S. weapons were used to strike targets inside Russia following the quiet approval of President Joe Biden, according to the Associated Press. An unidentified Western official is also said to have confirmed the report.
Germany and France have also allowed Ukraine to use its weapons, with some caveats, though not all of Europe is on board. Italy, for one, has denied Ukraine both weapons and aid, foreign minister Antonio Tajani confirmed earlier this month, while confirming his support for the beleaguered country. The Netherlands has pledged to provide an additional 1 billion euros ($1.06 billion) in military support for Ukraine, caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte has confirmed.
Meanwhile Finland, the U.K., Sweden, the Baltic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic and Canada, and others have all expressed approval for their weapons to be used in the war against Russia.
“We will think about it,” Putin told reporters at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, while alleging some weapons supplied by Western countries need to be controlled by the country itself, and not Ukraine. Therefore, he said, he would make “asymmetrical” moves across the world. The U.S. has denied such actions take place.
“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 don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same type to some regions of the world where they can be used to launch strikes on sensitive facilities of the countries that do it to Russia?” he said.
Meanwhile, Putin did not downplay his possible use of nuclear weapons if he deems it necessary. “For some reason, they believe in the West that Russia will never use it,” he said. “Look at what is written there,” he said, pointing 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.”
Despite Donald Trump’s apparent fondness for the Russian president, Putin seemed nonplussed when asked about the 2024 U.S. election, and whether relations could change if he was reinstated at the White House.
“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 the American politics. We don’t think so. We think nothing that serious will happen.”
Putin noted Trump’s recent conviction at his hush money trial in New York was the result of “the use of the court system as part of the internal political struggle.”
