Putin says he hopes the West “heard” the warning about long-range attacks.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday he hoped the West would “hear” his warning about the risk of direct war with NATO if it allowed Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russia.

Putin made the first threat in September after Britain and the United States considered allowing Kiev to use long-range weapons against Russian targets, warning that it would bring NATO into “war” with Moscow.

“They didn't tell me anything about it, but I hope they heard it,” Putin told a state television reporter when asked whether the West had heeded his warning.

“Ukrainian troops cannot use these weapons alone. Only specialists from NATO countries can do this because they need space information, which Ukraine of course does not have,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pressing his Western allies for months for permission to use long-range missiles against targets deep in Russian territory, arguing the move would “motivate” Moscow to seek peace.

Western officials signaled last month that a decision on the matter was imminent, but British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden later postponed the decision amid dire threats from Moscow.

Biden downplayed Putin's warning and U.S. officials said the missiles would likely make only a limited difference in Ukraine's election campaign.

bur/gv