Putin Tells NATO Allowing Long-Range Missiles Would Equal Direct Involvement in War

Putin said that Ukraine would rely on U.S. and European allies for satellite targeting data and programming of the missiles’ flight paths.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting at Lakhta Centre business tower in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on June 5, 2024. Sputnik/Valentina Pevtsova/Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Sept. 12 that if NATO allows Ukraine to strike inside Russia with Western-supplied long-range missiles, it would be tantamount to becoming directly involved in the war and would change the nature of the conflict.

“If this decision is taken, it will mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine,” Putin told Russian state television. “This will be their direct participation, and this, of course, will significantly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict.”