President Putin said that the war in Ukraine is spreading globally.

(CLO) President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the war in Ukraine is escalating into a global conflict after the US and UK allowed Ukraine to attack Russia with their long-range weapons, warning the West that Russia could retaliate.

President Putin said that the country responded to the use of the missiles by firing a new type of hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile at a Ukrainian military facility. Putin warned that more attacks could follow. He said civilians would be warned in advance of further attacks using such weapons.

Following approval from President Joe Biden's administration, Ukraine attacked Russia with six US-made ATACMS missiles on November 19, and with UK-made Storm Shadow missiles and US-made HIMARS missiles on November 21, according to Putin.

"Since that time, as we have repeatedly emphasized, a regional conflict in Ukraine previously instigated by the West has taken on global elements," Putin said in a nationwide address broadcast on state television after 8 p.m. Moscow time on Thursday.

Putin says the Ukraine war is spreading globally; China calls for de-escalation (Figure 1) — Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: TASS

Putin said the US is pushing the world toward a global conflict. "And in the event of escalating aggression, we will also respond decisively and proportionally," he said.

Putin said the Ukrainian missile attack using ATACMS did not cause any serious damage. But the Storm Shadow attack on the Kursk region on November 21 targeted a command post and resulted in deaths and injuries.

The Russian president said Moscow fired a new non-nuclear, medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile called "Oreshnik" at a missile and defense enterprise in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, home to the Pivdenmash rocket and space rocket company, or Yuzhmash as the Russians call it.

He stated that the attack on the enterprise was successful. He added that Russia is developing short- and medium-range missiles in response to the US plan to produce and deploy medium- and short-range missiles in Europe and the Far East.

"I believe the United States made a mistake in unilaterally canceling the treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and short-range missiles in 2019 under an unrealistic pretext," Putin said, referring to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

China has issued a warning to the US after President Joe Biden authorized long-range attacks inside Russia using ATACMS missiles capable of striking targets up to 300 km away.

China's Global Times newspaper stated: "China... reaffirms its position on the Ukraine crisis, calling for de-escalation and political resolution after the US allegedly allowed Ukraine to use Western long-range weapons to attack Russia."

Meanwhile, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., told Newsweek: "Implementing an early ceasefire and striving for a political solution serves the interests of all parties."

"It is important not to escalate tensions. China has always encouraged and supported all efforts that are beneficial to the peaceful resolution of the crisis and is ready to continue to play a constructive role in its own way to resolve the Ukraine crisis through political means."

China has positioned itself as a neutral party in the conflict, emphasizing respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, including Ukraine. China has called for dialogue and peaceful resolution instead of military action, and has even put forward a 12-point peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

(CLO) President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the war in Ukraine is escalating into a global conflict after the US and UK allowed Ukraine to attack Russia with their long-range weapons, warning the West that Russia could retaliate.

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