A close ally of President Vladimir Putin warned Western governments on Thursday that a nuclear war would ensue if they gave the green light for Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Vyacheslav Volodin, a close Putin ally, warned Western governments of nuclear war if Ukraine is allowed to use long-range weapons against Russia. This follows a European Parliament vote urging EU countries to provide these weapons to Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO alliance leaders that a move to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range Western missiles to strike deep inside his country would be considered an act of war.