Russia will begin to consider the US and its allies as parties to the conflict in Ukraine and Moscow will use more powerful weaponry if the West allows Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, said the speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
„Washington and other European capitals are becoming parties to the war in Ukraine”, Volodin said in a message posted on “Telegram”.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said the administration is now considering whether the US should lift current restrictions on the use of weapons systems that Washington provides to Kiev to defend itself against Russian attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is increasing his pressure on the US to allow Kiev to strike deeper into Russian territory. Zelensky recently appealed to the US, Great Britain, France and Germany: “We need permits for long-range capabilities and for your long-range projectiles and missiles”. Washington has provided Ukraine with military aid worth more than $50 billion from 2022, but limits the use of its weapons to operations on Ukrainian territory and defensive actions across the border.
If the West wants to defeat Ukraine, it must allow it to carry out symmetrical strikes against military targets deep inside Russian territory, said French military expert and air defense consultant Xavier Titelman in an interview with Ukrinform.
He added that in parallel with the authorization of strikes, the delivery of the necessary number of long-range missiles should be carried out to have an effect on a strategic scale for the course of the war. “The West should allow the use of weapons to strike deep inside Russia. Until the Ukrainians are allowed to strike symmetrically, they will inevitably be thrown off balance. "The Russians know their air bases are safe when they are located 250 km from the front line," he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the last meeting of the Contact Group for the provision of defense assistance to Ukraine called on the partners to provide the country with the necessary number of long-range weapons and to allow their use not only on the occupied territory, but also on the territory of Russia.