"There’s a very easy way to get to the end of that conversation": State Department responds to Putin's threats

The U.S. State Department has responded to Russian dictator Putin's latest threats that allowing Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory with long-range weapons would be seen as direct participation of NATO countries in the war. They emphasized that they are closely monitoring the Kremlin leader's rhetoric, but advised him to end the war in Ukraine if he does not like discussions about strikes on Russia.

This was stated by US Foreign Policy spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing on Friday, September 13. According to him, the Kremlin head has been issuing similar statements over the past two and a half years.

"So, it’s not really a new statement by President Putin, but of course we pay close attention to everything that he says. I would say President Putin is the one who could end this war today if he wanted to. The only reason we are even having a discussion at all about the provision of American capabilities to Ukraine and the provision of capabilities by our NATO Allies and the coalition of 50 countries that we’ve assembled around the world to Ukraine is because Putin continues to press this illegal war, that he continues to try to forcibly take territory of Ukraine. So, if the president of Russia doesn’t want to have a conversation about what capabilities we provide to Ukraine, there’s a very easy way to get to the end of that conversation, and that’s for him to end this illegal war," the official stated.

The US official added that the United States will not participate in the war in Ukraine but will continue to help it defend itself along with a coalition of allies.

Earlier, the White House responded to Putin's threats too. Karine Jean Pierre said that the dictator's statements were addressed not to Americans or Europeans, but to the Russian audience.

Although Putin has "dangerous rhetoric," his words are nothing new, she said.

The day before, Russian dictator Putin said that allowing Western long-range weapons to strike Russian territory would "change the nature of the conflict" and would be seen as direct involvement of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine. He threatened that this would provoke a "corresponding reaction" from Moscow.

As reported, Yaroslav Chornohor, director of the Russian and Belarusian studies program at the Prism UA think tank, believes that such statements by Putin should not be taken too seriously as it is not the first time he has made them. There are no specifics in Putin's statements.

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