Putin warns NATO: “Kiev’s use of Western missiles will lead to war with Russia”

The situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, with tensions between Russia and the West rising. In a television interview, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine's use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against Russia would be a declaration of war by NATO countries. Putin added that Moscow will make "appropriate decisions" in response to these threats, changing the nature of the conflict depending on the new dynamics. Putin's words were broadcast via the Kremlin's Telegram channel and reflect the growing risk of military escalation.

Meanwhile, the war on the ground continues to claim victims. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denounced a Russian attack on an International Red Cross convoy in the Donetsk region, which left three aid workers dead and two injured. The convoy was distributing humanitarian aid, such as firewood and coal, to residents for the coming winter. The International Committee of the Red Cross strongly condemned the attack as a war crime and called for respect for international humanitarian law. The Committee's chairwoman, Mirjana Spoljaric, is expected in Moscow to discuss the protection of aid workers and other pressing issues with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In another escalation of tensions, Zelensky reported a Russian attack on a grain cargo ship bound for Egypt in the Black Sea, shortly after it left Ukrainian territorial waters. Ukraine also launched a counteroffensive in Russia’s Kursk region, where the Russian Defense Ministry said it had recaptured ten settlements and inflicted heavy losses on Ukrainian forces.

On the diplomatic front, the US and UK appear ready to allow Ukraine to use its long-range Storm Shadow missiles against targets deep inside Russian territory. According to the Guardian, the decision has already been made but will not be formalized publicly. This move could increase the West's direct involvement in the conflict, leading to unpredictable reactions from Moscow.

Amid these tensions, Iran has summoned the ambassadors of France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany over allegations that it has supplied ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. The director general of the Western Europe department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Tehran will respond appropriately to what it sees as a hostile approach from the West.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy reiterated the UK’s “unwavering” support for Ukraine, announcing further military aid in the form of hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles and other munitions. Lammy also stressed the need for Western allies to step up support for Ukraine, given Russia’s cooperation with Iran, and to revisit the debate over the use of Western weapons on Russian soil.

The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, warned that the use of Western-made long-range missiles against Russian territory would increase the involvement of NATO countries in the conflict and provoke a decisive response from Moscow. The escalation of statements and attacks, both rhetorical and on the battlefield, indicates a potential worsening of the crisis, which could have devastating global consequences.