ST. PETERSBURG, Russia. President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning on Wednesday that Russia could begin supplying long-range weapons to its allies for use against Western targets. This announcement comes in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.

During a rare press conference with international journalists at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin also reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to deploy nuclear weapons if it perceives a threat to its sovereignty. “That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way,” Putin stated.

Recently, the United States and Germany authorized Ukraine to strike certain targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they have supplied to Kyiv. On Wednesday, a Western official and a U.S. senator confirmed that Ukraine had used U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia under newly approved guidance from President Joe Biden, aimed at defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Putin alleged that the use of some Western-supplied weapons involves military personnel from those countries controlling the missiles and selecting targets. Consequently, he suggested that Moscow might take “asymmetrical” measures elsewhere in the world. However, the U.S. military maintains that it does not control the missiles it provides to Ukraine or the targets.

“If they consider it possible to deliver such weapons to the combat zone to launch strikes on our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same type to some regions of the world where they can be used to launch strikes on sensitive facilities of the countries that do it to Russia?” Putin said. “We will think about it.”

When asked about the potential use of nuclear arms, Putin referred to Russia’s security doctrine, emphasizing that if the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened, Russia considers it possible to use all means at its disposal. “For some reason, they believe in the West that Russia will never use it,” he remarked, highlighting the potency of Russia’s battlefield nuclear weapons compared to those used by the U.S. in World War II.

During the more than three-hour session, Putin also addressed U.S.-Russia relations, indicating that little would change regardless of whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the upcoming American presidential election. “We will work with any president the American people elect,” Putin said. He also commented on Trump’s recent felony conviction, describing it as a result of the “use of the court system as part of the internal political struggle.”

Putin took questions on various subjects, though the ongoing conflict in Ukraine dominated the discussion. He accused the West of missing opportunities to end the fighting, claiming he once wrote to Biden suggesting that hostilities could end in a few months if Washington ceased supplying weapons to Kyiv.

On the issue of military losses, Putin refrained from providing specific details but asserted that Ukraine’s casualties are five times greater than Russia’s. He stated that Ukraine holds more than 1,300 Russian troops in captivity, while Russia detains over 6,400 Ukrainian soldiers—figures that could not be independently verified.

When asked by the Associated Press about the case of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, jailed over a year ago on espionage charges, Putin acknowledged U.S. efforts to secure his release but stressed that such matters should be handled through “a discreet, calm and professional approach” and on a reciprocal basis, hinting at a potential prisoner swap.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, hosted in Gazprom’s new 81-story skyscraper, has been a platform for Russia to showcase its development and attract investors. However, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the forum has seen a reduced presence of Western officials and investors due to wide-ranging sanctions imposed on Moscow.