Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday that Russia might start supplying advanced long-range precision weapons to countries like North Korea, much like the United States and other Western countries are currently arming Ukraine.
"We do not exclude the possibility of arms supplies to other countries, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Let the West think where they might end up," Putin told journalists during his visit in Vietnam, after visiting North Korea a few days ago.
Putin's comments came in response to earlier rhetoric about supplying missiles to foes of Western powers—especially against the backdrop of US and allied support for Ukraine to fire supplied weaponry at targets deep inside Russia.
To the Western argument that arming Ukraine denies them parties to the conflict and hence their responsibility regarding how these weapons are used, it was responded by Putin that Russia will claim the same right.
He also told about the possibility of Russia looking into adjusting the doctrine of the use of nuclear weapons in view of Western developments oriented at low-yield nuclear arms that would decrease the threshold for nuclear warfare.
Speaking in the aftermath of last week's proposed peace terms to Ukraine, Putin called for negotiations, but only after accusing Kiev and its Western patrons of undermining such peace initiatives as the Minsk process and Istanbul talks.
According to Putin, the conditions that Russia has set, such as Ukraine withdrawing its troops from Donbass and other regions, are issues that are subject to change based on an evolving situation, with the pledge not to be a part of NATO.
After Pyongyang, where he signed a strategic partnership treaty with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Putin arrived in Hanoi to strengthen bilateral ties with Vietnam in areas such as trade and nuclear energy cooperation.
Read also | US Reaffirms Concern Over North Korea-Russia Collaboration Post Kim-Putin Summit
