UNITED NATIONS, September 13. /TASS/. Any talk about lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s using Western-made weapons to strike deeper into Russia in no way promotes the conflict settlement, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General, said.

"I think the rhetoric that we're hearing, what we're seeing on the ground, is yet another indication that we are not moving towards the end of this conflict in a way that we would like to see it within the framework of international law and the charter. And no doubt, I think Ukraine will be among the items high on the agenda of the Secretary General's [of the United Nations Antonio Guterres] various bilateral meetings," he said.

According to Dujarric, "the increased rhetoric, notably around nuclear weapons, is worrying." "If you even step away a bit from Ukraine, there's been more signs that we live, that we are living through a period that is much more dangerous. And I think we hope that people will recommit to the ideals of disarmament and the non-use of nuclear weapons, especially as we move towards the General Assembly," he noted.

Russian Permanent Representative to the United States Vasily Nebenzya said earlier on Friday that if NATO countries allow Ukraine to use their long-range weapons to strike deep into Russia it will be seen as their direct involvement into a war on Russia.

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden during a meeting in Washington on Friday might touch upon the issue of granting Ukraine permission to use British long-range Storm Shadow missiles. The Guardian reported on September 11 that Starmer did not intend to speak publicly about granting Ukraine such a permit following his meeting with Biden. According to The Daily Telegraph, if the parties allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles deep into Russian territory, they will probably announce this at the UN General Assembly in late September.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the media that Ukraine was unable to strike deep into Russian territory without Western help because it needed intelligence from satellites and flight tasks to do so. The Russian leader noted that NATO countries were now not just debating about Kiev's possible use of Western long-range weapons. They are essentially deciding whether or not to get directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. Putin pointed out that Moscow would make decisions based on the threats that would be posed to Russia.