Putin threatens NATO amid reports of long-range weapons being allowed to strike inside Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed NATO is escalating a direct war with Russia as the U.S. and Britain discuss allowing NATO-provided weapons to be used by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia. 

“This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict,” Putin said Thursday. “It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia.” 

Putin’s warning comes amid multiple recent reports that the U.S. is close to clearing the way for Western weapons to be utilized to hit deep inside Russia. The New York Times reported President Biden is close to allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is willing to give Ukraine permission to use “Storm Shadow” long-range missiles, but wants U.S. approval first, the Times reported. 

“If that’s the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face,” Putin said to a state television reporter. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday during his Warsaw, Poland, visit that the U.S. “will do exactly what we have already done, which is: We will adjust. We’ll adapt as necessary, including with regard to the means that are at Ukraine’s disposal to effectively defend against the Russian aggression.”

On Wednesday, Blinken announced more than $700 million in humanitarian aid for the war-torn country. Blinken met with both Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.K. Foreign Minister David Lammy. Starmer is set to meet with Biden in Washington on Friday. 

Ukraine launched an incursion into Russia in early August, capturing miles of territory and grabbing some settlements. The attack caught Russia unprepared, but Zelensky later said the Russian army was hitting back, and Moscow had vowed to clear Ukraine from the area.