Russia's UN envoy warns NATO of direct confrontation if Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russia are permitted
If the West permits Ukraine to launch long-range attacks on Russia, it would signify a direct confrontation between Moscow and NATO, says Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, at a UN Security Council meeting, as reported by TASS. Nebenzya voiced this warning in response to discussions about potentially lifting limitations on Ukraine's use of long-range weaponry against Russia.
According to him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to be interested in having the ban on strikes against Russia lifted, thereby dragging Western countries deeper into the conflict.
"If the decision to lift the restrictions has indeed been made or will be made, this would mean that NATO countries are directly entering a war with Russia. In this case, we will inevitably have to make corresponding decisions, with consequences for the Western aggressors. Our Western colleagues won't be able to dodge the responsibility and shift the blame onto Kyiv any longer," Nebenzya stated.
Nebenzya also addressed potential deliveries of Iranian missiles to the Russian army, describing claims of Tehran assisting Moscow as unfounded. He suggested that Kyiv's dissemination of these claims is an attempt to persuade the West to lift the restrictions on attacks on Russian territory.
Earlier, on September 11, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesperson, pledged a response should these restrictions be lifted, alleging that Western nations have already tacitly approved Kyiv's use of ATACMS missiles against Russian regions, though no official announcement has been made.
On the same day, U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned that Washington is considering lifting restrictions on Ukrainian strikes against Russia, with the U.S. close to an agreement to supply Ukraine with such weaponry. However, Kyiv may need to wait several months until technical issues are resolved.