MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a firm caution to the United States, stating that any move to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine would deepen hostilities and escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow, though it would not significantly shift the battlefield dynamics.
Speaking at a forum with international foreign policy experts in Sochi, Putin expressed concern over reports suggesting the potential delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv. He said such a step would mark a serious escalation in the conflict and push U.S.-Russia relations into “a new and dangerous phase of confrontation.”
Putin acknowledged that these advanced weapons could inflict some damage, but claimed Russian air defenses are capable of neutralizing the threat. “Their arrival won’t alter the outcome of the war,” he remarked, asserting that Russian forces continue to advance gradually in the ongoing conflict.
Responding to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s earlier remarks calling Russia a “paper tiger” for its inability to swiftly overcome Ukraine, Putin dismissed the criticism, arguing that Moscow is up against not just Ukrainian forces but the collective power of NATO countries backing Kyiv militarily and financially.
In his address, Putin also took a moment to reflect on past diplomacy, describing his earlier summit with Trump in Alaska as productive. He reiterated a proposal to renew key nuclear agreements, signaling that Russia is still open to dialogue on global security, even amid deepening divisions over Ukraine.
Putin concluded by stating that Moscow remains open to exploring ways to resolve the conflict diplomatically, but warned that the delivery of strategic weapons to Ukraine would only complicate such efforts.
