The United States could face “fatal consequences” if it ignores Moscow’s warnings not to let Ukraine use American-supplied weapons inside Russia, the Kremlin has said.
“I would like to warn American leaders against miscalculations that could have fatal consequences. For unknown reasons, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive,” said Sergei Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister.
Vladimir Putin last week said that the West would be directly involved in any Ukrainian long-range attack on Russia involving Western-supplied arms, as such strikes would require Western intelligence and military assistance.
Referring to Putin’s comments, Mr Ryabkov said: “I urge these figures [in the US] … to spend some of their time, which they apparently spend on some kind of video games, judging by the lightness of their approach, on studying what was said in detail by Putin.”
The US has given Kyiv permission to use its Western weapons against some targets inside Russia, so that Ukrainian troops can strike Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them.
However, Washington has refused to allow Ukraine to use its long-range Atacms missiles in attacks on Russian territory.
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Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
