Senior Russian lawmakers warned Sunday that Washington’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory with U.S.-supplied missiles could trigger World War Three, marking a sharp escalation in rhetoric following the policy shift.
“The West has decided on such a level of escalation that it could end with the Ukrainian statehood in complete ruins by morning,” said Andrei Klishas, a senior member of Russia’s Federation Council, on Telegram, while Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of the upper house’s international affairs committee, promised an “immediate” Russian response.
“This is a very big step towards the start of World War Three,” Dzhabarov told state news agency TASS.
The warnings follow President Vladimir Putin’s September statement that Western countries would be fighting Russia directly if they permitted Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles, suggesting Moscow would be forced to take “appropriate decisions” based on such threats.
Leonid Slutsky, who chairs the State Duma lower house’s foreign affairs committee, said U.S. authorization for Ukraine to use American ATACMS tactical missiles against Russia would “inevitably entail a serious escalation, which threatens to lead to much more serious consequences.”
The stern reactions from Moscow’s political establishment come after U.S. officials revealed the significant reversal in Washington’s Ukraine policy, which previously restricted the use of American-supplied weapons to strikes within Ukraine’s borders.
The development marks a critical turning point in Western military support for Ukraine, as Russian officials signal the potential for unprecedented retaliation if such strikes are carried out against Russian territory.
