Vladimir Putin has slammed the concept Russia plans to assault NATO as ‘boll**cks’ – similtaneously he threatened to load Western international locations’ enemies with missiles to strike them in revenge for his or her help of Ukraine.
Talking at a uncommon press convention with Western information retailers yesterday, the dictator denied having ‘imperial ambitions’ and instructed journalists ‘they’ve provide you with this concept that Russia needs to assault NATO.’
‘Have you ever misplaced your thoughts? Are you as thick as two quick planks? Who made this up? It is nonsense,’ the 71-year-old Kremlin chief ranted.
However on the identical assembly, the dictator threatened to produce his superior weapons to enemies of Britain and different Western international locations who’re offering lengthy vary arms to Kyiv. These Russian weapons might then be used to hurt NATO international locations.
Whereas many NATO members have supplied weapons to Kyiv to help its combat in opposition to the Russian invaders, the navy alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg right now emphasised that it has no plans to deploy forces to Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin has slammed the concept Russia plans to assault NATO as ‘boll**cks’
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg right now emphasised that the navy alliance has no plans to deploy forces to Ukraine
Vladimir Putin made threats to produce Britain’s enemies with missiles in order that they’ll strike the UK in revenge for supplying Ukraine with long-range Strom Shadow missiles
The Russian President made the chilling feedback whereas chatting with media on the St. Petersburg Worldwide Financial Discussion board
The Kremlin dictator for the primary time threatened to produce his superior weapons to enemies of Britain and different Western counties who’re offering lengthy vary arms to Kyiv
Putin made clear he was additionally prepared to produce weapons in the best way NATO international locations had, however in his case to enemies of Britain and different Western counties
Russians look at a downed British Storm Shadow missile (pictured)
Putin made his newest feedback at a wide-ranging information convention with international journalists in St Petersburg yesterday – a uncommon incidence and the primary time he has taken questions from Western reporters because the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
As a number of international locations together with the US have given permission to Ukraine to make use of their weapons to strike inside Russia, Putin warned that such actions might result in ‘very severe issues’.
‘If somebody thinks it’s doable to produce such weapons to a struggle zone to assault our territory and create issues for us, why do not we’ve got the fitting to produce weapons of the identical class to areas of the world the place there can be strikes on delicate services of these international locations?’ he mentioned.
‘That’s, the response might be uneven. We are going to give it some thought.’
In additional belligerent feedback, the Russian President additionally accused the UK of direct involvement within the struggle in Ukraine, alleging British armed forces personnel are concentrating on missiles hitting Russian targets.
Putin re-issued a menace to make use of nuclear weapons if Russia’s ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity’ are threatened, warning: ‘This shouldn’t be taken calmly, superficially.’
He accused Britain, the US and France of utilizing its armed forces to focus on Russian positions linked to the Ukraine struggle.
‘With regard to long-range precision weapons.…such because the British Storm Shadow or the American ATACMS or French missiles,’ he mentioned in an interview with journalists on the St Petersburg Worldwide Financial Discussion board.
‘How is it used?,’ Putin requested. ‘Ukrainian servicemen can’t do all the pieces on their very own and strike with this missile.
‘They’re merely technologically unable to do it,’ he continued.
‘To do that, you could have satellite tv for pc reconnaissance, then, on the idea of this satellite tv for pc reconnaissance…to type a flight job, after which enter it into the missile system.
‘The serviceman who’s subsequent to it, he does it simply robotically – he pushes buttons.
‘He could not even know what is going to occur subsequent.’
Putin made clear he sees this as direct Western involvement within the struggle.
‘I repeat, the flight job is shaped and…entered solely by those that provide these weapons,’ he mentioned.
‘If it is ATACMS, then the Pentagon does it, whether it is Storm Shadow, it signifies that the British are doing it.
‘And within the case of Storm Shadow, it is even easier.
‘The simplicity lies in the truth that the flight job is entered robotically, with out the involvement of navy personnel on the bottom, robotically.
‘The British do it, in order that’s it…’
Russia final yr claimed to have seized an intact British-supplied Storm Shadow missile as a ‘struggle trophy’
The missile was seen in footage with slight harm after being downed in a cornfield close to Berdiansk earlier than being bundled right into a Russian car
The second of a Storm Shadow missile assault on Chongar Bridge in June final yr. Ukraine used the British-supplied missile to destroy the important thing bridge between Crimea and Russian-held elements of the Kherson area in Ukraine
Putin mentioned there could possibly be an ‘asymmetrical response’ for Western lengthy vary missiles deployed by Ukraine to hit Russian territory.
Till now, these weapons have been used solely to strike Russian-invaded areas of Ukraine, however Kyiv now has permission for strikes inside Putin’s borders.
Putin made clear he was additionally prepared to produce weapons in the best way NATO international locations had, however in his case to enemies of Britain and different Western counties.
He requested: ‘What ought to we do in response?
‘First, we are going to, in fact, enhance our air defence techniques. We are going to destroy them.
‘Second – we’re considering that if somebody considers it doable to produce such weapons to a struggle zone to strike at our territory and create issues for us, then why can we not have the fitting to produce our weapons of the identical class to these areas of the world the place they’ll strike at delicate services of these international locations which are doing this to Russia?
‘So the response could possibly be asymmetrical. We are going to take into consideration this.’
Putin didn’t specify precisely who he had in thoughts to produce weapons to.
‘If we see that these international locations are being drawn right into a struggle in opposition to the Russian Federation, then we reserve the fitting to behave in the identical method.
‘Normally, this can be a path to very severe issues,’ he mentioned.
On nuclear struggle, he warned the West to not flip a blind eye to the chance.
Russia’s nuclear doctrine allowed the usage of tactical – or battlefield – nuclear weapons, he mentioned.
‘For some purpose, the West believes that Russia won’t ever use it,’ mentioned the dictator.
‘We’ve a nuclear doctrine, look what it says.
‘If somebody’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we think about it doable for us to make use of all means at our disposal.
‘This shouldn’t be taken calmly, superficially.’
The doctrine courting from 2020 says Russia might press the button as a response to an assault utilizing nuclear or different weapons of mass destruction, or to the usage of typical weapons in opposition to Russia ‘when the very existence of the state is put below menace.’
It comes after Russia final yr claimed to have seized an intact British-supplied Storm Shadow missile as a ‘struggle trophy’.
The missile was seen in footage with slight harm after being downed in a cornfield close to Berdiansk earlier than being bundled right into a Russian car.
‘The enemy tried to forestall us from capturing such a trophy, and delivering it safely to [Russia] by sending its group of fighters to intercept,’ mentioned the previous head of the Russian House Company, Dmitry Rogizin.
‘The missile has simply been handed over to one among our defence enterprises, whose specialists will decipher the management system algorithms of this harmful missile weapon, and share them with air defence consultants,’ he added.
A month earlier than, in June 2023, Ukraine used a British-supplied Storm Shadow missile to hit a key bridge between Crimea and Russian-held elements of the Kherson area in Ukraine, pro-Moscow sources claimed on the time.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, mentioned the Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles have been prone to have been used for the assault, which broken the street on the Chongar bridge.
