Putin declared war on NATO: Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russia will change 'the nature of the conflict'.

Putin threatens NATO war over Ukraine's use of Western missiles

On September 12, 2024, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine's use of Western long-range missiles 'would mean NATO's war against Russia.'

During his speech, Putin emphasized that the authorization to use long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia equates to a direct war with NATO, as it supposedly 'changes the very nature of the conflict.' According to the head of the aggressor country, such a decision indicates the direct involvement of Alliance countries in the war.

Putin also claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly cannot independently use Western missile systems for such strikes without NATO intelligence and Alliance military intervention.

Meanwhile, according to Politico, the White House is finalizing a plan to lift restrictions on the use of American weapons by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike Russian territory. Earlier, The Guardian reported that the UK had already allowed Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to target Russia.

Last spring, Ukraine received permission to attack military targets in Crimea, and by the beginning of summer, the US had approved strikes on Russian border areas adjacent to the Kharkiv region.