Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a warning to the West, suggesting that Moscow could begin supplying weapons to American adversaries.
This threat comes in response to the U.S. and its European allies’ continued delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
During the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin criticized the West’s military support for Ukraine, which has been ongoing since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with approximately $51 billion in military assistance since then, as per a State Department press release from May 24.
Recently, President Joe Biden approved the use of some American weapons by Ukraine for counter-fire purposes near Kharkiv, following a new Russian offensive on May 10. A State Department spokesperson explained that this decision was to help Ukraine defend itself from attacks originating just across the Russian border.
Putin warned that Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil using American weaponry could lead to “very serious problems.” He stated, “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 weapons of the same class to regions of the world where there will be strikes on sensitive facilities of those countries?”
A State Department spokesperson dismissed Putin’s comments as “reckless and irresponsible saber-rattling from the Kremlin,” reaffirming the U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine’s self-defense.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, criticized the U.S. and its allies. He emphasized that if the U.S. is perceived as an enemy, then its adversaries could become Russia’s allies.
In addition to the threat of arming American adversaries, Putin reiterated the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons if its sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened. “For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it … We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says,” Putin cautioned.
