Washington

A roadmap for strengthening the bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and Greek Cyprus is not against third parties, a senior American official has said, in an effort to soothe down Ankara's criticisms over expanding military ties between his country and southern Cyprus.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday delayed a decision to let Ukraine fire long-range Western-supplied missiles into Russia, a plan that sparked dire threats from Moscow of a war with NATO.

Over 2,500 of these drones have been created from July 2023 to July 2024 – The drone has been deployed against military and civilian targets in Ukraine, sources say

Russia began producing a new long-range attack drone, the Garpiya-A1, last year, using Chinese engines and components, according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents seen by Reuters.

Russia on Sept. 13 accused six British diplomats of spying and said it decided to expel them, an announcement that comes as tensions between Moscow and the West grow during an intensified push by Ukraine to loosen restrictions on using weapons provided by the U.S. and Britain to strike Russia.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy step from their aircraft as they arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Md., ahead of talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo)

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Thursday that allowing Ukraine to use longer-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia would effectively put NATO "at war" with Russia.

The Kremlin has issued a warning that Russia will "retaliate accordingly" if the United States allows Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes deep within Russian territory, a decision Moscow suspects has already been made, Reuters reports.

Kyiv is reportedly exploring alternative strategies for its war with Russia as Western support continues to evolve, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The publication cites Western and US officials who indicate that while the long-term goal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains to expel Russia from Ukraine, practical considerations are leading to a reassessment.

The U.S. and British top diplomats began a visit Wednesday to Ukraine, where they will discuss further easing rules on firing Western weapons into Russia, whose alleged acquisition of Iranian missiles has raised new fears.

Western powers on Tuesday announced fresh sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with short-range missiles for imminent use against Ukraine, calling it a dangerous escalation of the conflict that threatened European security.