The Russian Foreign Ministry warned the US against providing Ukraine with longer-range missiles, saying that doing so would cross a “red line” and make Washington a “party to the conflict.”
The warning comes after it was revealed that Ukraine has asked the US to provide the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which have a range of about 190 miles, significantly farther than any weapons the US has sent at this point.
“Should Washington decide to supply longer-range missiles to Kyiv, by doing so it will cross a red line and become a direct party to the conflict. Under such a scenario, we will be forced to respond appropriately,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
The ATACMS can be fired from the HIMARS rocket launch systems that the US has already sent Ukraine. The HIMARS that Ukraine is using are currently equipped with munitions that can hit targets up to 50 miles away, known as Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS).
US officials have previously said that they won’t send Ukraine ATACMS over concerns that they could be used to target Russian territory. But the Biden administration has shown its willingness to escalate support for Kyiv and its involvement in the war despite the risks of provoking a response from Moscow.
The HIMARS were given to Ukraine under the condition that they wouldn’t be used to target Russian territory, and the Biden administration has said they received assurances from Ukrainian officials on the issue. But the ban doesn’t appear to apply to Crimea, which Russia has controlled since 2014.
Is this like a veiled threat?…
It doesn’t seem “veiled”.
The tragic reality is that the lives of others do not exist for politicians. They live sheltered, self-obsessed lives, impervious to the quotidian woes that we flown-overs suffer daily. No, they exist entirely on the pedestal of self-admiration, before a clapping, admiring bevvy of toadies and, observe themselves in a 360-degree mirror, smiling and waving to — themselves.
Yes, the narcissism of the polscum together with the homicidal monomania of the military is the heart and soul of evil.
This is about the 37th red line that Russia has drawn since the conflict began. Let’s not forget what Putin stated at the very beginning in February: “A couple of words for those who would be tempted to intervene. Russia will respond immediately and you will have consequences that you never have had before in your history.”
LOL!
The spokeswoman is just an useful idiot with a lot of hot air. I would rather wait for peskov saying the same thing to give any importance
That’s amusing since Mercouris thinks Peskov is a lousy spokesman. Patrushev might be a better source.
Nonetheless I suspect this “red line” should be taken seriously. Note that there is no evidence it means Russia will engage the US directly. It simply means that Russia will escalate the war IN Ukraine to make the presence of long-range weapons an irrelevancy. In other words, Russia will escalate to the point of trashing Ukraine even more than it has. It has the capability to do so as the recent attacks on electrical systems has shown.
I would rather have patrushev staying mum as he is someone with genuine power and who stays in the background. If he says something like this publicly I would say ww3 is about to start.
We are already a party to the conflict, beginning the year 2014.
1991
“US officials have previously said that they won’t send Ukraine ATACMS over concerns that they could be used to target Russian territory. But the Biden administration has shown its willingness to escalate support for Kyiv and its involvement in the war despite the risks of provoking a response from Moscow.”
The game of Chicken continues. Being wrong will mean we will have no time to dig a hole to bury our asses in.
Don’t worry, if we go Nuclear is only because your side fired the first salvo, not the US.
My side is diplomacy, not the US.
The only Red line is when Russia invaded and went full Hitler on Ukraine.
Edit:
The Long Range missiles may accelerate a peace deal. I would venture to say Putin may even offer to pull back and keep Donbas and Crimea which he had before. If he does that, he has lost ~50K troops for nothing plus sanctions, lost the EU gas market, lost weapons buyers, mighty army reputation is gone, and will forever be hated by Ukrainians for all the destruction he caused. Not the legacy he was hoping for.
Post your source.
Did you even read my comment or you just fell compelled to counter me like you always do?
“I would venture to say Putin may even offer to pull back….”
I am the source. I guess I should ask you for a source every time you post your opinion on a matter.
I read it somewhere before. I guess you posted the same nonsense earlier. Or you just sound so much like our fucking MSM, I couldn’t tell the difference.
If Russia had gone “full Hitler”, as we did against Iraq, Ukraine would be a burned out cinder. If a person poked you in the eye, day after day, how long would you take it before reacting with punching that person in the mouth? It is what the West (U.S.) has been doing for 30 years. Is war the only thing this (my) country is about? Our last major “success” was the oh so magnificent invasion of Grenada. Grenada? There may have been peace between Ukraine and Russia in April, 2022. Why did Boris show up in Kiev to put an end to it?
Ukraine is already burned out. Do you not see all the destruction?
So the poked person strikes back and hits the little guy in the mouth. Hmm, why not hit the big guy that has been poking him? I know why, that’s because Russia is a bully.
Stop the excuses.
https://youtu.be/tuzhi4Jw7DA?t=107