Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that U.S. supplies of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would “destroy” Russia–U.S. relations, describing such a move as a “qualitatively new stage of escalation.” Speaking in a video clip carried by Russian state media, he said that any delivery of these systems would jeopardize the “positive trends that have recently emerged” between the two countries.
Putin contended that using Tomahawk missiles would necessarily involve direct U.S. participation, which he said would amount to a deeper involvement in the conflict beyond mere arms provision. He acknowledged the danger the missiles pose to Russia but added that Moscow’s air defenses would adapt and intercept them.
His remarks come amid reports that the Trump administration is weighing Ukrainian requests for Tomahawk missiles with ranges of up to 2,500 km — a significant increase in Kyiv’s strike capacity deep into Russian territory. But U.S. officials caution that current Tomahawk inventories are largely committed to naval deployments, making large transfers to Ukraine potentially unfeasible.
At a foreign policy forum in Sochi, Putin reiterated that while supplying such long-range weapons would cause serious diplomatic damage, it would not change the balance on the battlefield, where he claimed Russian forces continue making gradual gains. He also reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to respond to what he frames as aggressive Western escalation.
