Because using such Western weapons for striking Russian territory involves military personnel of the respective countries controlling the missiles and selecting targets, Putin said, Moscow could take “asymmetrical” steps.
That could include giving such weapons to others to target facilities of respective countries elsewhere in the world, he added.
“If they consider it possible to deliver such weapons to the combat zone to launch strikes on our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same type to some regions of the world where they can be used to launch strikes on sensitive facilities of the countries that do it to Russia?” he said.
“We will think about it,” he said
Germany joined the United States recently in authorising Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying to Kyiv. The deliveries of German tanks to Ukraine came as a shock to many in Russia, he said.
“Now if they use missiles to strike facilities on the Russian territory, it will completely ruin Russian-German relations,” he said.
On Wednesday, a Western official and a US senator said Ukraine has used American weapons to strike inside Russia under newly approved guidance from US President Joe Biden.
It allows American arms to be used for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The official was not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Taking questions from international journalists for the first time since his inauguration last month to a fifth term, Putin also said nothing will change in terms of Russia-US relations regardless of whether Biden or Donald Trump wins the American presidential election in November.
“We will work with any president the American people elect,” Putin said, speaking on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
03:03
Putin invokes Nazi Germany to lambast Berlin’s decision to provide tanks to Ukraine
Putin invokes Nazi Germany to lambast Berlin’s decision to provide tanks to Ukraine
“I say absolutely sincerely, I wouldn’t say that we believe that after the election something will change on the Russian track in the American politics,” he added. “We don’t think so. We think nothing that serious will happen.”
Putin also said Trump’s felony conviction at his hush money trial last week was the result of “the use of the court system as part of the internal political struggle”.
The Russian leader faced questions on various topics from senior news leaders of international news agencies, although the over two years of fighting in Ukraine dominated the session.
Asked about Russian military losses, Putin said that no country would reveal that information during hostilities but claimed without providing details that Ukraine’s casualties are five times greater than Russia’s.
He also said Ukraine has more than 1,300 Russian troops in captivity, while more than 6,400 Ukrainian soldiers are being held in Russia.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Putin has used the annual forum as a showcase for touting Russia’s development and seeking investors. While meetings with journalists were part of previous sessions, he has not taken questions from Western journalists at the St. Petersburg event since sending troops to Ukraine.
Last year, journalists from countries that Russia regards as unfriendly – including the US, the UK and the European Union – were not invited, and Western officials and investors also steered clear of the session after wide-ranging sanctions were imposed on Moscow over Ukraine.