Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that if the United States supplied Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for long-range strikes deep into Russia, then it would lead to the destruction of Moscow’s relationship with Washington.
“This will lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged in these relations,” Putin said in a video clip released on Sunday.
US Vice President JD Vance said last month that Washington was considering a Ukrainian request to obtain long-range Tomahawks that could strike deep into Russia, including Moscow, though it is unclear if a final decision has been made.
Tomahawk cruise missiles have a range of 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles), which means that if Ukraine got the missiles then the Kremlin and all of European Russia would be within target.
Putin on Thursday said that it was impossible to use Tomahawks without the direct participation of US military personnel, and so any supply of such missiles to Ukraine would trigger a “qualitatively new stage of escalation”.
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Putin’s warning came as tensions continued to rise on the battlefield, with Russia pressing ahead with large-scale strikes on Ukraine.
At least five civilians died after Russia launched drones, missiles, and guided aerial bombs at Ukraine overnight into Sunday, in a major attack that officials there said targeted civilian infrastructure.