The Kremlin stated on Wednesday that it believes the U.S. has likely authorized Ukraine to use long-range rockets supplied by Washington to strike targets within Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “It is highly probable that these decisions have already been made.” He suggested that the media’s current discussions are merely formalizing decisions that have been preemptively made.
Peskov warned that Moscow would respond “appropriately” if Western allies of Ukraine, including the U.S., relaxed restrictions on the use of long-range weapons to target deep within Russian territory, although he did not detail what this response might involve.
This statement follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s comments about his administration deliberating on whether to permit Kyiv to use long-range weaponry.
This discussion comes as top U.S. and U.K. diplomats are in Ukraine to address the issue.
Ukraine has been advocating for permission to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a range of up to 300 kilometers (190 miles), to strike targets deeper inside Russia.
While Biden has consistently supported Ukraine since Russia’s large-scale invasion, he has also emphasized the importance of preventing direct conflict between the U.S. and Russia, both of which are nuclear powers.
Peskov accused Washington and its European allies of not distancing themselves from what he described as their direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict. He expressed concerns that lifting restrictions on long-range strikes could escalate the conflict with the West.
Earlier this year, the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons against Russian forces when directly engaged along the border. Peskov asserted that permitting Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory would further justify Russia’s military actions, claiming that Russia’s invasion in early 2022 was a reaction to Western support for Ukraine.
