Russian President Vladimir Putin warned NATO on Friday that he will go to war if the West lift its ban on long-range missiles being used in Ukraine.
The Russian dictator has vowed to make “appropriate decisions” after President Joe Biden and other world leaders suggested they would lift restrictions on Ukraine put in place by the United States to use American missiles to attack Russia.
“This will mean that NATO countries— the United States and European countries — are at war with Russia,” Putin said. “And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us.”
In response to Putin’s warning, Biden said Russia will not prevail in its ongoing battle with Ukraine.
During a meeting at the White House with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Biden vowed that the U.S. is "committed" to standing with the U.K. to help support Ukraine.
“I’ve often said there’s no issue of global consequence where the United States and U.K. can’t work together," Biden said. "It’s clear that Putin will not prevail in this war. The people of Ukraine will prevail.”
The meeting comes on the heels of a monthslong push by Kyiv to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided long-range missiles to attack the interior of Russia. Naturally, Putin objected to the idea, saying that if the ban if lifted, it would mean that NATO, the U.S., and European countries are at war with Russia.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin claimed Ukraine’s use of the U.S. missile system would make a difference in the war’s outcome.
However, Putin said that without NATO's help in targeting Russia, “The Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West.”