 "Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the government via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday. AP")
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia on Friday told the UN Security Council that if Western countries allow Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes deep inside Russia, Nato countries would effectively be “conducting direct war with Russia.”
“The facts are that Nato will be a direct party to hostilities against a nuclear power, I think you shouldn’t forget about this and think about the consequences,” The Guardian quoted Nebenzia as telling the 15-member council.
Nebenzia warning came a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin said the move to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s long-range Western missiles use would be considered an “act of war”.
“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,” CNN quoted Putin as telling reporters on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday said that Putin had delivered a clear message to the West about the consequences of allowing Ukraine to hit Russian territory, and that there was no doubt that Putin’s message had reached those it was intended for.
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More Shorts“We have no doubt that this statement has reached its recipients,” said Peskov.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Britain and the United States meet Friday in Washington on whether to let Kyiv fire Western-provided long-range missiles into Russia.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to President Joe Biden comes with Kyiv increasingly pushing for permission to use the weapons - and secure Western help shooting down Russian missiles and drones.
According to AFP, citing British media, Biden, who is wary of provoking a nuclear conflict, was ready to let Ukraine deploy British and French missiles using US technology but not US-made missiles themselves.
Responding to Putin’s warning, Starmer told UK media travelling with him that “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict straight away.”
In a sign of increasing tensions, Russia’s FSB security service announced on Friday that the accreditation of six British diplomats had been withdrawn and accused them of spying.
But London dismissed the claims as “completely baseless” and indicated they were a tit-for-tat measure after it slapped new restrictions on Russian diplomats in May.
The talks come with Biden on his way out of office and November’s US election a toss-up between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
Trump repeatedly refused to take sides on the war during a debate with Harris on Tuesday, saying only: “I want the war to stop.”
With inputs from agencies