Kremlin predicts rising tensions over Kiev's possible authorization of strikes on Russian Federation

The possible permission for Ukraine to use US long-range ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russia, if US President Joe Biden actually accepts it, will become a qualitatively new round of tension. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on November 18.

According to him, the Russian side drew attention to publications where such a resolution was reported with reference to unofficial sources.

"If such a decision was indeed formulated and communicated to the Kiev regime, then, of course, this is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation in terms of the involvement of the United States in this conflict. We primarily proceed from this," he said.

The Kremlin spokesman emphasized that Moscow 's position on such steps is clear to everyone, and the relevant signals voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg were considered by the collective West. He recommended that the parties concerned familiarize themselves once again with the said statement.

At the moment we are only talking about the statements of certain Western media about Kiev's authorization for such strikes, Peskov clarified. At the same time, he called it obvious that the outgoing US administration intends to "pour oil on the fire" and continue to provoke the growth of tension around the situation in Ukraine.

He also recalled that strikes with such weapons can be carried out only with the help of military specialists from countries that authorize it. This radically changes the format of involvement of these states in the Ukrainian conflict and makes the situation even more dangerous, the press secretary of the Russian president concluded.

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Earlier, on November 17, The New York Times reported that Biden had authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike Russia. The Le Figaro newspaper also wrote that following the United States, the French and British authorities made the same decision on strikes with long-range SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, but removed this information the next day.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recalled that Putin had previously spoken out about strikes on Russian territory with US long-range weapons. In particular, the Russian leader then emphasized that such a thing would mean that NATO countries are "at war with Russia."

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to defend Donbass, which began on February 24, 2022. The decision to conduct it was taken by the Russian president because of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to the increased shelling by Ukrainian troops.