Russia has warned that the potential U.S. supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine could trigger a dangerous escalation in the ongoing war and inflict irreparable damage on relations between Moscow and Washington.
Reacting to reports that the Biden administration is considering approving the delivery of Tomahawks to Kyiv, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the move as “irrational and provocative.”
“A corresponding decision by the U.S. administration will not just send the confrontation into a downward spiral, but also do irreparable damage to Russian-U.S. relations,” Zakharova said during a press briefing in Moscow.
According to her, it makes little sense for Washington to “heavily fortify Kyiv” at a time when Moscow and Washington have expressed a genuine willingness to resume dialogue and cooperation.
She said Russia is “keeping the closest eye on the situation” and urged “extreme restraint regarding this highly sensitive issue,” warning that such actions could undermine diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
Zakharova reiterated President Vladimir Putin’s firm opposition to any U.S. plan to strengthen Ukraine’s missile capabilities, saying Tomahawks in Kyiv’s arsenal would mark a “new and serious stage of escalation.”
“This is not merely about the missiles being handed over to Ukrainian forces,” she explained. “Their use would be impossible without direct U.S. military involvement.”
The Russian diplomat said that while Russia’s missile defense systems have been significantly upgraded, the deployment of American long-range cruise missiles in Ukraine would cross a critical red line.
President Vladimir Putin recently cautioned that delivering Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would represent a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” and risk a direct confrontation between the United States and Russia.
The warning follows reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged former U.S. President Donald Trump, during their meeting at the UN General Assembly in September, to approve the missile transfer to help Kyiv strike deep into Russian territory.
As tensions rise, analysts say the decision could mark a turning point in the 31-month-long conflict, pushing it closer to a direct military standoff between nuclear powers if diplomatic caution is abandoned.
