Zelensky says US, UK forbid Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the United States and Britain have not given authorization to Kiev to use Western-supplied long-range missiles on targets inside Russia.

“Neither America nor the United Kingdom gave us permission to use these weapons on the territory of Russia, on any targets, at any distance,” Zelensky said on Friday.

“I think they are worried about an escalation (of hostilities),” Zelensky added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West not to let Ukraine use Western-supplied weapons to hit Russia. The Russian leader said that firing long-range weapons into Russia would amount to the US-led NATO countries declaring war on Russia.

Putin warns West not to let Ukraine use its missiles to hit Russia

Putin has warned of a global conflict if Western countries allow Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets in Russia.

Meanwhile, Zelensky said Kiev’s Western allies had increased their military support to Ukraine, which is struggling to keep the Russian troops out of the Donbas region in the east.

“(Military aid) accelerated in September. We are glad. We can feel the difference,” he said.

Kiev has fewer men and fewer arms and munitions compared to Moscow.

The neighboring countries have been engaged in war since Russia launched its special operation in eastern Ukraine in February 2022.

Also, Zelensky dismissed the idea of a peace plan put forward by China and Brazil.

He said he did not trust the plan, implying that Beijing and Brasília were hiding something.

“I don’t think it was a concrete plan. I don’t see any specific action or stages in it, just generalized procedures,” he said on Friday evening.

Putin orders military to boost troop numbers to 1.5 million

Russian President Vladimir Putin orders the military to boost its troop numbers by 180,000 to 1.5mn.

Generalizations always hide something,” Zelensky told reporters rejecting the peace plan suggested by them.

China and Brazil had suggested the idea of an international peace conference acceptable to both sides in which all options would be on the table.

Zelensky, who was an actor before becoming president, aims to pitch a so-called “victory plan” to US President Joe Biden in Washington next week.

“The plan is designed for decisions that will have to happen from October to December... We would like that very much. Then we believe that the plan will work.”

Meanwhile, Russia dismissed Zelensky’s talk of a plan to end the war.

On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “This is not the first time that we have heard such statements from representatives of the Kiev regime.”

“We are continuing our special military operation and will achieve all of our goals,” Peskov asserted.

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