Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday criticized the West’s delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine, arguing Moscow could arm other countries with similar weapons to attack Western targets. The comment came after several Western countries, including the US, gave Ukraine the green light to strike targets inside Russia.
“If someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a warzone 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 (Western) countries,” Putin said. He warned that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine were “a very negative step,” saying donors were “controlling” the weapons.
When asked about the killing of AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in Ukraine, likely as a result of Russian rocket fire, Putin indicated Moscow was ready to help investigate. “We are ready to do this work,” he said, expressing sensitivity toward military casualties in Russia where all criticism of the conflict is banned.
Putin also touched on US-Russia relations and the criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. He dismissed any significant difference in relations based on whether Trump or the current President Joe Biden were in office. Putin criticized Trump’s recent criminal charges as politically motivated, questioning the notion of the US as a leading democracy.
