President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that there would be “serious consequences” if Western countries allowed Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets in Russia, as sought by Kyiv.

The warning came as French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv should be allowed to “neutralise” Russian military bases from where Kremlin troops are firing missiles into Ukraine, and as President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the world not to tire of the war.

Putin’s comments came after some NATO members as well as the alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg have called to allow Ukraine to use their arms to step up attacks on Russian soil, after more than two years of war.

“This constant escalation can lead to serious consequences,” Putin said during a visit to Uzbekistan.

“In Europe, especially in small countries, they should be aware of what they are playing with,” he said, noting that many European countries had “small territory” and a “dense population”.

“And this factor, which they should keep in mind before they talk about striking deep into Russian territory, is a serious thing,” he said.

He added that even if Ukraine’s forces carried out the strikes, responsibility for them would lie with Western suppliers of the weapons.