Putin Issues Strong Warning to US on Tomahawk Missiles, Calls Response ‘Serious, If Not Devastating’
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned the United States against supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, signaling that any strike on Russian territory would trigger a “serious, if not devastating” response.
“This is an attempt at escalation, but if strikes with such weapons are carried out on Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not downright devastating. Let them think about that,” Putin told reporters, while emphasizing that dialogue remains preferable to confrontation or war.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump downplayed the possibility of Ukraine acquiring the long-range, precision-guided Tomahawk missiles, noting the complexity of operating them. “It’ll take a minimum of 6 months or usually a year to learn how to use them. The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it, and we’re not going to do that,” Trump said.
The warning comes amid US sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. Addressing the sanctions, Putin said they were “serious” but would not significantly impact Russia’s economy. He also described the measures as an “unfriendly act” that does little to strengthen US-Russia relations, which he said had only recently begun to recover.
Putin’s remarks highlight rising tensions over the ongoing war in Ukraine as the conflict enters its fourth year, with Moscow cautioning against further escalation from Western powers.
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