If North Korea joins the war, there will be no new restrictions on Ukraine's use of American weapons, — Reuters with reference to the Pentagon
Wasijisahaulishe taarifa ya Steve Rosenberg wa BBC aliyowapa mwezi jana juu ya madhara ya uamuzi watakofanya.
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13 September 2024
Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor, BBC News
The headline in this morning’s Kommersant newspaper captured the drama.
“Vladimir Putin draws his red line.”
Will the West cross it? And, if it does, how will Russia respond?
Speaking in St Petersburg, President Putin sent a clear warning to the West: don’t allow Ukraine to use your long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.
Moscow, he said, would view that as the “direct participation” of Nato countries in the war in Ukraine.
“It would substantially change the very essence, the nature of the conflict,” the Kremlin leader continued.
“This will mean that Nato countries, the USA and European states, are fighting with Russia.”
He claimed that, for missile launches into Russia, Ukraine would require data from Western satellites and that only servicemen from Nato member states would be able to “input flight missions into these missile systems”.
“No matter who tries to stand in our way or create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately,” the Kremlin leader had declared.
“And the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.”