Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if long-range weapons are used against Russian territory, Moscow's reaction will be very serious, even crushing. He told reporters, quoted by Interfax, reports News.bg.
Putin described such a move as an attempt to escalate the conflict.
Regarding the planned summit between Russia and the United States in Budapest, Putin indicated that the proposal for it came from the American side. According to him, President Donald Trump probably decided to postpone the meeting due to the lack of necessary preparation and expected results. Putin stressed that such events must be carefully organized so that they do not fail.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on European allies to provide long-range weapons for Ukraine. He expressed disappointment that he had not received a promise from Donald Trump to deliver Tomahawk missiles. His remarks were made in Brussels during a European Union summit, where leaders are discussing the creation of a 140 billion euro fund for Ukraine, financed by frozen Russian assets. Moscow has already disputed the legality of the initiative.
“When we talk about long-range weapons for Ukraine, the goal is for the Putin regime to feel the real consequences of this war“, Zelensky said. “I urge you to support everything that can help Ukraine get these capabilities, because they can really change the course of the conflict.“
US President Donald Trump continued his hostile tone to the “Wall Street Journal“ (WSJ), denying a report that his administration had lifted a restriction that would have allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russia. Less than 90 minutes after the WSJ report, Trump said on the Truth Social platform that it was “fake news“ and that the United States had nothing to do with these weapons.
During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump announced that he had canceled a summit with Putin because of a lack of progress and the timing of the talks. He also expressed frustration with the stalemate in the talks: “Every time I talk to Vladimir, the talks are good, but then they go nowhere.“
The cancellation of the meeting came as the White House imposed new sanctions targeting Russian oil exports, part of an effort to pressure Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. Trump said he hoped the measures would be temporary.