Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to continue “dialogue” despite US counterpart Donald Trump shelving a summit, but pledged a potentially “overwhelming” response if Ukraine gets Tomahawk missiles.
“Dialogue is always better than confrontation or any disputes, and especially war. We have always supported the continuation of dialogue,” Putin told journalists.
But if Russia gets attacked by Tomahawk missiles, which Ukraine desires, the response would be “very strong, if not overwhelming,” he added.
Earlier, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said in an interview that Washington was “looking at” providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine in response to a request from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Tomahawk is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile designed for precision strikes against land targets, with an operational range of roughly 1,600–2,500 kilometers.
The Tomahawk can be configured as a strategic weapon with a nuclear warhead, though it is commonly deployed in a conventional form for tactical strikes.
Tomahawks are typically launched from ships or aircraft, which program the missile before launch with target coordinates, routing, flight profile, and digital terrain maps. Strategic launch platforms also upload arming codes. The missile navigates using a combination of inertial and satellite navigation.
For security reasons, strategic launch systems are generally operated only by U.S. personnel; allied personnel typically do not receive access to these launchers.
Initially, the idea of transferring Tomahawks to Ukraine seemed unlikely because it implied not only providing missiles but also transferring launch platforms and deploying U.S. personnel on Ukrainian soil to program and fire them.
Such a deployment would risk being treated as a direct U.S. attack on Russia, potentially provoking rapid and dangerous escalation, Indian expert Vijainder K. Thakur argued.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the latest US sanctions targeting two major oil firms were “serious”, but not strong enough to significantly affect the economy.
He added that the sanctions were an “unfriendly act” that “does not strengthen Russia-US relations, which have only just begun to recover.”
Trump attempted to foster ties with Russia at the start of his term but has become increasingly frustrated with Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire, complaining that his peace talks with him were not going “anywhere”.
The Republican president held off introducing new restrictions against Russia for months, but his patience snapped after plans for a fresh summit with Putin in Budapest collapsed. Still, even after new sanctions and the summit’s postponement, Putin appeared to remain open to dialogue.
With Inputs From Agence France-Presse
