Sun Sep 15 10:30:34 UTC 2024: ## UK Foreign Secretary Accuses Putin of “Bluster” Over Missile Threat

**LONDON, UK** – UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “bluster” over his warning that allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russia would equate to a NATO declaration of war.

Lammy’s comments come amidst heightened tensions between Russia and the West following a White House meeting between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two leaders are reportedly discussing the possibility of easing restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied weaponry.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been requesting permission to use British Storm Shadow missiles and US-made ATACMS missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia for months. However, Biden and Starmer have yet to make a decision.

Putin, in response to these requests, issued a stark warning, stating that allowing such attacks would place NATO countries, including the US and European nations, at war with Russia. “If that’s the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face,” he added.

Lammy dismissed Putin’s threats as mere “bluster” and a tactic designed to intimidate the West. “I think that what Putin’s doing is throwing dust up into the air,” he told the BBC. “There’s a lot of bluster. That’s his modus operandi. He threatens about tanks, he threatens about missiles, he threatens about nuclear weapons.”

Lammy also warned against giving in to Putin’s aggression, stating that allowing Russia to conquer Ukraine would not be the end of his ambitions. “We cannot be blown off course by an imperialist fascist, effectively, that wants to move into countries willy nilly,” he said. “If we let him with Ukraine, believe me, he will not stop there.”

Discussions between Starmer, Biden, and Zelenskyy regarding the use of missiles are expected to continue at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York later this month.

Read More