(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – As Moscow’s victim Ukraine, which has been defending in Europe’s biggest war in decades for over two years now, has recently been allowed by Washington to use US weapons against Russian territory, Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin has been riled up by the decision.
Putin has sharply criticized the United States and other Western nations for providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry, implying possible retaliation by arming other countries to target the West.
During a press conference in St. Petersburg, Putin questioned the West’s actions, The Guardian reports.
“If someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a war zone to attack our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply our weapons,” he said.
This statement followed acknowledgments from a U.S. senator and a Western official that Ukraine has recently utilized American weapons to conduct strikes within Russian borders.
These strikes are part of a new policy approved by U.S. President Joe Biden, which permits the use of American-supplied arms to target Russian forces threatening the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, confirmed these strikes but did not disclose the specifics of his briefing.
The Biden administration has stipulated that this directive does not alter the existing U.S. policy which prohibits Ukraine from using certain types of American-supplied long-range missiles for offensive operations inside Russia, according to U.S. officials.
In a similar vein, Germany has also authorized Ukraine to target specific locations within Russia using German-provided long-range weapons.
Putin described this decision as a “dangerous step” that could severely damage the diplomatic relationship between Berlin and Moscow.
Meanwhile, the UK and France have allowed Ukraine to use all of their weapon supplies to strike Russian territory unconditionally.
Ukrainian authorities have increasingly urged the U.S. and its allies to permit defensive actions against assaults launched from Russian soil. Kharkiv, located merely 20 kilometers (approximately 12 miles) from the Russian border, has been subjected to escalated attacks by Russian forces.
A report dated June 3 from the Institute for the Study of War indicates that Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian air defense system in the Belgorod region, likely using a high mobility artillery rocket system (Himars).
The targeted system was positioned about 60 kilometers (around 40 miles) from the current frontline near northern Kharkiv and over 80 kilometers from Kharkiv city, which falls within Himars’ operational range.
Furthermore, Putin mentioned that the U.S. government is actively seeking the release of detained Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, stating that resolution of such matters must be reciprocal. He noted that discussions with U.S. intelligence were ongoing and should be conducted discreetly.
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