The Russian president warned the West: they cannot allow Ukraine to attack Russia with Western missiles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that NATO's European members are playing with fire when they suggest Ukraine use Western weapons to strike Russia, which could trigger a global conflict, according to a Reuters article.
The deadliest land war in Europe since World War II has been going on for more than two years, and
Putin has increasingly spoken of the danger of a much wider global conflict as the West grapples with what to do about Russian troop advances in Ukraine.
Constant escalation could have serious consequences," Putin said.
“If these dire consequences occur in Europe, how will the United States behave, given our strategic weapons parity? It's hard to say whether they want a global conflict?” the Russian president asked the questions.
According to Putin, strikes in Ukraine targeting Russia with long-range weapons would require Western satellite, intelligence and military assistance - so the West would be directly involved.
According to him, sending French troops to Ukraine would be a step towards a global conflict.
Regarding European NATO members, Putin said the small countries "need to be aware of what they are playing" because they have small land areas and very dense populations.
"They should keep this factor in mind before talking about striking Russian territory," Putin said.
Cover photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin
Source: MTI/EPA/Sputnik/Presidential press service/Mikhail Metzel
