Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States not to deliver long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in order to avoid a new escalation of the war, the German magazine Der Spiegel reports, BTA reports.
At the Valdai Forum in Sochi, Putin said that the use of these weapons is impossible without the presence of American military personnel and described this step as "dangerous". According to him, although the deliveries will not change the balance of power on the battlefield, they could lead to "a qualitatively new stage of escalation" and harm relations between Russia and the United States. He stressed that Russia will strengthen its air defense systems in response, as it did in the missile attacks ATACMS.
Putin commented on media reports that the United States is considering supplying "Tomahawk" missiles that would allow strikes deep into Russian territory. He said such actions pose a serious risk to stability in the region.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump has stepped up his support for Ukraine, saying that the country can regain all of its territory with time, patience and financial support from Europe and NATO. He described the Russian offensive as "aimless" and called Russia a "paper tiger". Vice President J.D. Vance added that Zelensky had asked whether the United States could sell "Tomahawk" missiles to European countries that would hand them over to Ukraine.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung quoted Putin as accusing Kiev of shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and warning of retaliation against Ukrainian nuclear power plants if the attacks continued. "This is a dangerous game," he said, adding that Kiev should reconsider its approach to nuclear power.
The Russian president stressed that the United States continues to buy large quantities of uranium from Russia, with the amount amounting to $1.2 billion this year alone. According to Putin, Russia remains a stable supplier, with a 25% market share in the United States.
In his speech to the forum, Putin said that Moscow is monitoring the "escalating militarization of Europe" and will respond to it. He dismissed concerns that Russia intends to attack NATO, calling such claims "nonsense".
Putin also made an attempt to strengthen his relationship with Donald Trump, indicating that the conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided if Trump had been in power. For his part, Trump criticized the EU for its continued purchases of Russian energy, which he says is financing the war against Ukraine.
Despite limited successes on the battlefield, Putin claims that Russian forces "are making confident progress" and urged Kyiv to consider starting negotiations.