(Scypre.com) – Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any Western decision to lift restrictions on missile use in Ukraine could escalate the ongoing conflict into a direct war between Russia and NATO. His remarks followed recent Russian military activity near Alaska, where fighter jets were detected flying off the coast.
Putin expressed serious concerns about the consequences of allowing Ukraine to use American long-range missiles to target deep into Russian territory. He stated, “This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia.” He emphasized that Russia would respond decisively to such a shift in the conflict.
The pressure on U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders to reconsider the missile restrictions has intensified, with Ukraine and its allies seeking more aggressive measures to counter Russia’s invasion. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer traveled to Washington, D.C., for discussions with Biden, where the primary focus is expected to be the potential use of Western-supplied weapons in Ukraine.
On the military front, the U.S. scrambled jets to intercept Russian aircraft that entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Thursday. According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), although the Russian planes were detected and intercepted, they did not violate American or Canadian airspace. NORAD emphasized that this activity does not pose a direct threat but confirmed ongoing surveillance and preparedness to respond to competitor activities.
Meanwhile, within the U.S., debate rages over the potential implications of using the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in Ukraine. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin voiced skepticism about whether such a move would change the trajectory of the war. Seth Krummich, a retired Army colonel and vice president at Global Guardian, reflected on the delicate balance between Pentagon intelligence and international pressure on the president, calling it a pivotal aspect of the discussion.
As tensions rise, Moscow took the drastic step of revoking the accreditation of six British diplomats, accusing them of espionage. Putin also cast doubt on Ukraine’s ability to use long-range missiles effectively without Western intelligence assistance, claiming that “the Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West” without NATO guidance.
This raises fears that a mistake or disinformation could lead to a major escalation in the conflict. Krummich warned of the possibility that a misstep, either by Ukraine or due to a Russian-manufactured event, could lead to a significant escalation or even an all-out war between Russia and NATO.