The Kremlin warned that this was a dangerous decision, going against peace efforts and could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict.
On May 26, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that reports showed that the West had removed the range of long-range weapons for Ukraine as completely contrary to the desire for political resolution and the ongoing peace efforts.
RT quoted Mr. Peskov as emphasizing: "If these decisions have been made, they are extremely dangerous... They raise big questions about the goodwill of reconciliation from the West."
His statement came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed at the EuropaForum: There are no longer any restrictions on the range of firecrackers used by the West against Russian military targets. There are no limits from the UK, France, Germany or the US.
Russia has repeatedly warned that allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory could turn NATO into a direct combat side.
According to Russia's argument, Kiev does not have the ability to independently determine long-range targets, but needs satellite data from NATO countries - a factor that Moscow believes is equivalent to direct participation.
Last November, Russia adjusted its nuclear doctrine after Western countries began discussing the possibility of allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian inland.
Accordingly, Russia has expanded the list of situations that could trigger a nuclear reaction, including the possibility of a non-nuclear state (or a group of countries) backed by a nuclear-powered country taking actions that Russia considers a "combined attack".
Since the beginning of this year, Ukraine has repeatedly used long-range weapons provided by the West - including Storm Shadow (UK), SCALP (France), ATACMS (US) - to hit targets deep inland in Russia, from air bases to military logistics centers.
Although Russia's nuclear doctrine still emphasizes that nuclear weapons are only a "last, mandatory measure", the change in language shows that the activation threshold may have been lower, especially in the context of Western weapons increasingly crossing the old limits.
Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine resumed direct talks for the first time since 2022. The two sides agreed to develop a detailed proposal for a ceasefire, exchange 1,000 prisoners and continue negotiation rounds.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed on May 24 that Moscow is in the "final stage" of preparing a memorandum of understanding on principles and roadmaps for resolving the conflict.
However, with long-range weapons constantly being transferred and used, no one is sure how long the progress on the negotiation table can withstand the heat from the battlefield.
