✕ Close Zelensky says China trying to undermine Ukraine peace summit

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Vladimir Putin has threatened to retaliate against Western countries that are allowing Ukraine to hit Russia with their long-range missiles.

Putin said Russia will provide such weapons to countries or adversaries within striking distance of Western nations.

“If we see that these countries are being drawn into a war against the Russian Federation, then we reserve the right to act in the same way. In general, this is a path to very serious problems,” Putin said at his annual economic forum in St Petersburg yesterday.

He did not specify where he was considering delivering such missiles.

The Kremlin has also said Russia is ready to strike French troops if they are sent to Ukraine to help train Kyiv’s soldiers, describing them as legitimate targets.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has expressed frustration with the speed of training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, noting that at the current rate it won’t have a full squadron of trained F-16 pilots until late 2025, reported Politico. The holdup is in part due to a lack of spaces at a training centre in Arizona.