Putin Will Threaten Strikes Against NATO Countries, Russian TV Chief Warns

Russian President Vladimir Putin will threaten strikes against North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member nations over their support for Ukraine, predicted Russia Today (RT) editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan.

Putin has found himself with increasingly strained relations with other European leaders amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Much of the West condemned the invasion, which was launched last February, as lacking justification and a violation of international norms.

Many allies have offered Kyiv billions of dollars in military aid and are credited with helping turn the tide of the war in favor of the Ukrainians. Russia has reacted with anger to this aid, accusing NATO of crossing red lines by providing Ukraine with weapons, some of which has now allegedly been used within Russian borders.

Simonyan said in a new interview that she believes Putin will soon give NATO an "ultimatum" over its aid to Ukraine, adding that the West giving the war-torn country weapons for free "constitutes participation in the war."

"One morning we'll wake up to find out that last night Vladimir Putin has declared an ultimatum, saying that if F-16 jets taking off from the airfields of such countries continue striking Russian territory—if such and such weapons, shipped from the ports of such and such countries, continue being supplied, then we will consider these airfields and these ports legitimate war targets," Simonyan said.

Simonyan added that Russia also has the right to declare, with no ultimatum, that NATO countries are legitimate targets. But she cast doubt that Putin would take that route, saying she does not "see another option" for how the spat over Ukrainian aid could possibly end.

Video of Simonyan's remarks was translated and posted to Twitter by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, on Saturday morning.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

Simonayn's RT, along with other Russian state media, has largely towed the Kremlin line on the Russia-Ukraine war after the State Duma cracked down on dissent.

Simonyan and other Russian state TV figures have made headlines for previous threats against Ukraine and the West. Last April, the RT editor-in-chief floated the idea of "complete destruction" of Ukraine and "a nuclear strike."

Her remarks come as the international community continue to grapple with recent strikes allegedly within Russia's borders. Russian authorities last month reported that multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacked Moscow, blaming Ukraine despite Ukrainian authorities denying responsibility.

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary James Cleverly recently told reporters that Ukraine "has the right to project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia's ability to project force into Ukraine itself." His remarks drew a response from Russia, with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev saying that British officials are now a "legitimate military target" for Russia.

The United States, however, has said it does not condone strikes within Russia's borders.

"We have said this before, we do not support attacks inside of Russia. We've been very clear about that," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last month.