Moscow threatens retaliation as Donald Trump weighs whether to allow Ukraine and its allies access to Tomahawk missiles, raising tensions in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Moscow has issued a new warning to Europe amid rising tensions in the Russia-Ukraine war, threatening to create “problems” if Ukraine receives Tomahawk missiles from its Western allies.
The statement came after US President Donald Trump said he had “sort of” decided whether to allow Ukraine’s European partners to supply Kyiv with the subsonic, long-range cruise missiles.
Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, cautioned that Moscow would retaliate against any country that sends such weapons to Ukraine.
“We know these missiles very well — how they fly and how to shoot them down. We worked with them in Syria, so there is nothing new,” Kartapolov said. “The only problems will be for those who supply them and those who use them; that’s where the problems will be.”
The Tomahawk missile, capable of striking targets more than 1,000 kilometers away, would mark a significant upgrade to Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities, potentially allowing Kyiv to target deep within Russian-held territory.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned Washington that authorizing such a transfer would represent a “qualitative change” in US involvement in the war — a move Moscow views as a dangerous escalation.
President Trump, for his part, said he wants to evaluate Ukraine’s intentions before making a final decision on the missile delivery.
“I want to know exactly what Ukraine plans to do with Tomahawks before I say yes,” he told reporters.
As diplomatic tension mounts, analysts say the Tomahawk missile debate underscores the growing pressure on both Washington and Europe to balance support for Ukraine with fears of direct confrontation with Russia.