Russia Issues New Threat Against US

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that Moscow could supply weapons to its adversaries.

His comments came during a meeting with foreign journalists at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he criticized the U.S. and its European allies' delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

The U.S. has been a strong ally of Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, which the U.S. State Department has called a "premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war." The U.S. has provided Ukraine with approximately $51 billion in military assistance since late February 2022, according to a State Department press release from May 24.

Last week, President Joe Biden gave Kyiv limited approval to use some American weapons for "counter-fire purposes" targets near the border of the protection of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, following a new Russian offensive on May 10, the State Department confirmed.

A State Department spokesperson told Newsweek: "As part of that offensive, Russia has been using staging locations just across the border to enable its attacks against Ukraine," adding that "To help defend itself, the Ukrainians requested permission to use weapons that the United States has provided to fire back at Russian forces attacking them across the border."

The Department maintains that "Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long-range strikes inside of Russia has not changed."

Putin said that Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil using American weaponry could lead to "very serious problems," adding that "if someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a war zone to attack our territory and create problems for us, why don't we have the right to supply weapons of the same class to regions of the world where there will be strikes on sensitive facilities of those countries?"

"That is, the response can be asymmetric. We will think about it," he stated.

A State Department spokesperson told Newsweek that Putin's comments are "just more reckless and irresponsible saber-rattling from the Kremlin," adding that "it is Russia that brutally invaded Ukraine in a war of aggression, and the United States is committed to supporting Ukraine's self-defense and deterrence capabilities."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian presidential office via email on Thursday.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, echoed Putin's comments. "This is what the Yankees and their drooling European dogs think: we have the right to send any weapons to Ukraine—the enemy of our country—but no country can help Russia," Medvedev said, according to the Russian state-owned news agency Tass.

Medvedev, who is also the former Russian president and prime minister, added, "Now let the U.S. and its allies feel the direct impact of the use of Russian weapons by third parties."

Putin did not explicitly state which countries he was referring to, but Medvedev said, "If the U.S. is their enemy, then they are our friends."

In addition to suggesting Russia could supply weapons to American adversaries, Putin warned the West that the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons "should not be taken lightly." Moscow has repeatedly threatened to use its nuclear arsenal throughout the war, which has lasted more than two years.

"For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it ... We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says," Putin said, referring to Russia's policy of allowing nuclear weapon usage if "the very existence of the state is put under threat."

"If someone's actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal," Putin said. "This should not be taken lightly, superficially."

Update 6/6/24, 2:23 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the U.S. State Department.