Vladimir Putin has warned that any decision by the West to allow Ukraine to use longer-range missiles against targets within Russia would effectively place NATO in a state of war with Moscow. His comments come in the wake of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's indications that the United States may consider lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons. Putin's remarks highlight the escalating tensions as top diplomats from the U.S. and the U.K. engage in discussions about potentially easing the rules governing Ukraine's military operations. This comes more than two and a half years into Russia's ongoing military offensive in Ukraine, during which Kyiv has been advocating for greater access to advanced weaponry to bolster its defense efforts.