RUSSIA warned the United States today over its decision to allow Ukraine to hit Russian soil with long-range weapons.

US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he was easing limits on what Ukraine can strike with US-made weaponry, after months of ruling out such a move over fears of escalating the conflict and bringing about a direct confrontation between Russia and Nato.

The shift in policy by the outgoing US president was slammed by the Kremlin.

Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred journalists on Monday to a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, in which he said allowing Ukraine to target Russia would significantly raise the stakes in the conflict.

It would change “the very nature of the conflict dramatically,” Mr Putin said at the time. “This will mean that Nato countries — the US and European countries — are at war with Russia.”

Mr Peskov said: “This fundamentally changes the modality of their involvement in the conflict.”

Last June, Mr Putin warned that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to Nato allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory. 

He also reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to use nuclear weapons if it sees a threat to its sovereignty.

Activists also slammed the US change of policy.

Black Alliance for Peace National Organiser Ajamu Baraka pointed out on the X social media platform that “with two months left in office the clown-ass democrats under Biden the clown in chief escalates a war he started and is lost.”

Mr Baraka added: “If there was no other reason to see these clowns leave office just remember this.”

Greek politician Yanis Varoufakis said: “Does Biden seriously think that missile attacks deep into Russia will do anything to change the facts on the ground in favour of Ukraine? Or is this a case of doubling down on one’s serial errors, determined to exit the White House as a monumental fool?”

Tricontinental Institute for Social Research director Vijay Prashad said: “Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US weapons in Russian territory is about as sensible as firing a nuclear missile into the earth’s core.”

Norwegian political scientist Glenn Diesen said: “Biden was too cognitively impaired to run for re-election, but he is fit enough to attack the world’s largest nuclear power before leaving office?”

Geopolitical analyst SL Kanthan accused “the cabal” that controls “senile Biden” of wanting to derail Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine.