Vladimir Putin has accused the West of pushing Russia towards its “red lines” in his latest warning to Ukraine’s allies.

The Russian president told his defence officials that the west is deliberately pushing Moscow to retaliate.

According to Reuters news agency, the Russian president said: “They [Western leaders] are simply scaring their own population that we are going to attack someone there using the pretext of the mythical Russian threat.

“The tactic is very simple: they push us to ‘a red line’, from which we can not retreat, we start to respond and then they immediately scare their population – in the old days it was with the Soviet threat and now it’s with the Russian threat.”

He suggested the US was doing this by developing missiles with a much longer range.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, Putin said: “The US activity to create and prepare for the deployment of ground-based high-accuracy strike weapons with a range of up to 5,500 kilometres in forward zones is worrisome.

“The relocation and deployment of these missile systems in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region is already being practiced.”

Only last month, the US gave Ukraine permission to use its Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), weapons with a range of 300km, to hit targets within Russia.

The UK followed suit and allowed Kyiv to use its Storm Shadow missiles with a range of 250km.

The Russian president claimed Moscow would lift all of its own voluntary restrictions on its own missiles if the US deployed these any weapons with a longer range.

Putin also said that he would now be pushing the serial production of Russia’s “newest powerful weapon”, the ballistic Oreshnik missile which he used against Ukraine in November.

He said: “As you know, the Oreshnik intermediate-range missile system has become Russia’s newest powerful weapon.

“It was successfully used in November in response to the strikes on our country’s territory – a ballistic missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic payload was used.

“The serial production of such systems is supposed to be established in shortly in order ensure the security of Russia and its allies.”

Putin’s warning follows Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that Russia had already escalated the war through its collaboration with North Korea.

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said: “We already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults. A significant number of them.

“We have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the front line.”

The Ukrainian president said Russia was using North Korea troops for the first time to carry out attacks in Kursk, the Russian region where Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion in August.

He said: “In essence, Moscow has dragged another state into this war, and to the fullest extent possible. And if this is not escalation, then what is the escalation that so many have been talking about?”

Ukraine also reported on Monday that Russia had sustained at least 30 North Korean losses in Kursk – although it provided no evidence to back that up.

The Kremlin refused to comment on the claim. It has also not confirmed or denied the use of North Korean soldiers at all over the last few months.

Instead, Putin told his defence officials that the large number of volunteers signing up to serve in the Russian army was helping Russia win the war.

He said: “The flow of volunteers is not ending. And thanks to this… we are seeing a turning point on the frontline.”

It’s believed the US and the UK gave Ukraine permission to use the long-range weapons to actively attack Russia – rather than just defend itself – because Moscow pulled Pyongyang into the war.