Kremlin says any decision to use long-range missiles against Russia would lead to a ‘rise in tension’
The Kremlin said on Monday that if the US allowed Ukraine to use US-made weapons to strike far into Russia then it would lead to a rise in tension and deepen the involvement of the US in the conflict.
Speaking at his regular daily press briefing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that there was no change in position from what Vladimir Putin had said in September. The Russian president had said he would consider strikes by US-made weapons on Russian soil as the direct involvement of Nato in the conflict.
In response to a question from Tass, Peskov said Russia was only aware of the apparent decision by the Joe Biden administration from reporting in western media.
Asked about recent overtures towards peace by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Peskov said that any so-called “freezing” of the conflict along the existing frontline was unacceptable for the Russian Federation.
Key events
Russian forces have taken control of the village of Novooleksiivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Reuters reports, citing Russian media.
Russia’s ministry of defence has claimed this morning that two Ukrainian drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region. Earlier the governor of the region reported there were no known casualties from the incident.
Tass reports that a Russian court has sentenced two Ukrainian men in the Kherson region, which Russia partially occupies, to 12 years in prison for espionage. The pair were accused of contacting Ukrainian secret services and passing along details of Russian military positions.
Local media reports explosions have been heard in Odesa. About ten minutes before the report there was a warning of missile fire from Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014.
Lithuania adds to criticism of Scholz-Putin call
Jennifer Rankin
Jennifer Rankin is the Guardian’s Brussels correspondent
Lithuania’s foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has bluntly criticised Olaf Scholz’s call with Vladimir Putin.
Lithuania is one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters in the EU, so the comments are not a surprise, but underscore the differences over how to approach Russia’s invasion, as Kremlin forces make deeper advances.
Landsbergis, who is also one of the EU’s most outspoken foreign ministers, said it was difficult for him to understand why the call had happened, telling reporters:
I’m not in principle against any calling or reach-out, but it has to come from a position of strength, not from the position of weakness, because if it does, then Russians will abuse it. And they clearly are doing exactly that, with massive new rocket barrages against Ukraine’s civil infrastructure, against energy. So what does it help? Why are we doing this?
The German chancellor spoke to Putin for one hour on Friday, urging him to withdraw his troops from Ukraine. At the weekend Russia then launched its largest attack on Ukraine in months, killing at least seven people and forcing the introduction of nationwide electricity rationing.
Kremlin says any decision to use long-range missiles against Russia would lead to a ‘rise in tension’
The Kremlin said on Monday that if the US allowed Ukraine to use US-made weapons to strike far into Russia then it would lead to a rise in tension and deepen the involvement of the US in the conflict.
Speaking at his regular daily press briefing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that there was no change in position from what Vladimir Putin had said in September. The Russian president had said he would consider strikes by US-made weapons on Russian soil as the direct involvement of Nato in the conflict.
In response to a question from Tass, Peskov said Russia was only aware of the apparent decision by the Joe Biden administration from reporting in western media.
Asked about recent overtures towards peace by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Peskov said that any so-called “freezing” of the conflict along the existing frontline was unacceptable for the Russian Federation.
EU foreign ministers signal support for US decision on missile use inside Russia
Jennifer Rankin
Jennifer Rankin is the Guardian’s Brussels correspondent
The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell has expressed hope that European nations will allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike Russia, following the US decision to loosen restrictions on US-made rockets.
Borrell, who is standing down as the EU’s foreign policy high representative next month, said he had long-believed Ukraine should be able to use western weapons to hit military targets inside Russia, telling reporters.
I’ve been saying once and again that Ukraine should be able to use the arms provided to them in order to not only to stop the arrow but also to be able to hit the archers.
He said he hoped member states would agree on that, suggesting if there was no common decision “anyone will do whatever they believe is according to the need to support Ukraine”.
France, the EU’s most consequential military power, has not immediately endorsed the US position.
However, France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot referred to Emmanuel Macron’s words from May, saying his government would consider this option if it was to allow hitting targets where Russia is “currently aggressing Ukrainian territory”.
Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp described the US decision as very important, saying:
What I see is that President Putin in general only listens to facts on the ground. And I think therefore that it is very important the US also does not [impose] limitations any more for weapons delivered to Ukraine.
Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said this was not a shift in western policy, telling the media:
The decision from the American side, and I would like to emphasise that this is not a rethink but an intensification of what has already been delivered by other partners, is so important at this moment.
The ministers are attending the monthly EU foreign affairs meeting in Brussels, the last one to be chaired by Borrell, who is ending his five-year term.
Reflecting on his tenure Borrell chided member states for being disunited and slow on foreign policy:
My last call to my colleagues will be, be more united. Take decisions quicker. Every time we took decisions in order to support Ukraine, it took too long.
Our video team have this report on yesterday’s Russian strike on Sumy which killed 11 people, including two children.
France: Ukraine use of French long-range missiles ‘an option that we would consider’
France, which has already provided long-range missiles to Ukraine, on Monday signalled that allowing Kyiv to strike military targets inside Russia remained an option on the table.
“We openly said this was an option that we would consider if it was to allow to strike a target from where Russia is currently aggressing Ukrainian territory. So nothing new on the other side,” Reuters reports Jean-Noël Barrot told journalists ahead of a EU ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
Local media reports explosions have been heard in Kherson.
An air alert has sounded in Zaporizhzhia.
Borrell: EU should allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday expressed his hope that EU members could agree to allow Ukraine to use arms to strike inside Russia, Reuters reports.
“I’ve been saying once and again that Ukraine should be able to use the arms we provided to them, in order to not only stop the arrows but also to be able to hit the archers,” Borrell said before a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“I continue believing this is what has to be done. I’m sure we will discuss once again. I hope member states will agree on that.”
In the UK an opposition politician has called on Keir Starmer’s government to allow Ukraine use of UK-made Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia.
Recently appointed shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge of the opposition Conservative party told the GB News channel that permission from the Biden administration to use US-made weapons inside Russia’s Kursk region was “a very important development” and “very welcome given the military situation in Ukraine.”
He continued:
I do hope it now paves the way for the UK granting full autonomy to Ukraine in relation to the use of Storm Shadow missiles. Russia invaded Ukraine, a wholly unprovoked, illegal invasion, a dictatorship invading a democracy.
It’s been the right thing to do, to not be directly involved in Ukraine, but to support them in whatever way we can, in terms of providing munitions that’s helped Ukraine to check their advance.
He cited the deployment of troops from North Korea as an “escalation” by Russia, saying “imagine how the Russians would feel if 10,000 Nato troops were now in Ukraine, supporting them. The fact is 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed into this battle. A totalitarian regime, hundreds of thousands of troops, testing nuclear weapons, is sending those troops out to fight in Europe, alongside Russia. We have to understand which country is in the right here. It’s Ukraine. We are doing the right thing to support them.”