Putin: Use of Tomahawk missiles will harm Russia-US relations
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has said that if Ukraine uses long-range Tomahawk missiles, it will "harm Moscow-Washington relations".
Source: Putin's speech at the Valdai Club, as reported by Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza
Details: Putin claimed that the supply of US long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces "will not change" the balance of power on the battlefield.
He warned that Russian air defences would shoot Tomahawks down.
Putin said Kyiv would not be able to use these missiles without the involvement of US military personnel and therefore such strikes would harm relations between Moscow and Washington.
"Will this [the use of Tomahawks] harm our relations, where there seemed to be some light at the end of the tunnel? Of course it will. It is impossible to use Tomahawks without the direct participation of American servicemen. This would mean a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States," the Kremlin leader said.
Background:
- The Telegraph reported at the end of September 2025 that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the United States for Tomahawk missiles during a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York.
- Zelenskyy later said that a request containing details and illustrations of Ukraine's needs had been submitted to Trump.
- On 2 October, Zelenskyy confirmed that he had spoken with Trump about the possibility of the US providing Ukraine with long-range missile systems.
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