Vladimir Putin expressed hope that Western governments heard his warnings against striking deep into Russia.
“They did not report to me, but, I hope, they heard [my warning]," Putin said in an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin.
Ukraine cannot independently use long-range weapons; this can only be done by specialists from NATO countries, which is why the issue is not about granting permission to Kiev to use such weapons against Russia, stated Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It’s not a matter of whether someone is allowed to use this weapon against Russia. I have already talked about this in my very first statement… Ukrainian forces cannot use this weapon independently,” Putin said.
The president emphasized that only NATO specialists can perform this task as it requires space intelligence, which Ukraine lacks, as well as experts who will use the data from this intelligence to issue flight missions and conduct "a whole range of other manipulations."
"The Ukrainian army cannot do this on its own … What's happening now is being done by NATO officers. The only question is whether they will allow themselves to carry out strikes deep into Russian territory or not. That is the question," Putin explained.
The direct participation of Western countries in the conflict would alter its nature, and Moscow would be forced to make decisions based on the threats that would be created against Russia, Putin has warned.