Russia is discussing with partner countries the issue of deploying long-range weapons, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.

“Of course, and in Asia, and in Latin America has our closest partners with whom the security situation is being worked out in detail, not only at the level of exchange of assessments,” Ryabkov said, answering a question about the possibility of supplying long—range weapons to partners.

Deputy Head The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the discussion of this topic will continue, adding that Russia, with full respect, will take into account the sovereign choice and international obligations of partner countries.

On June 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with the heads of world news agencies, noted that Moscow was considering an asymmetric response to the supply of long-range Western weapons to Ukraine for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation. During the SPIEF plenary session, Putin stressed that Russia has not yet supplied long-range weapons to Western opponents, but reserves the right to start such deliveries.

The Russian president’s statements came after the United States allowed Kiev to use Western weapons to attack Russian territory. Other countries made a similar decision: France, Germany, Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the use of Western weapons by Ukrainian forces, including F-16 fighter jets, for strikes against Russia cannot be considered an escalation.

Nina Lyutikova