Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine will destroy ties, Putin warns Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that US President Donald Trump would severely damage relations between Washington and Moscow if he approved the delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, RT reported.

IMAGE: US President Donald Trump shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they meet to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15, 2025. Photograph: / Rediff.com

Late last month, US Vice President JD Vance said the White House was considering providing Kiev with Tomahawk missiles, which reportedly cost about $1.3 million each and have a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles), allowing them to strike Moscow and beyond, RT said.

In an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Saturday, Putin said that such a move by Trump would "lead to the destruction of our relations. At least the positive tendencies that have appeared in these relations."

Earlier, speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday, the Russian President said Ukrainian forces would be unable to operate such complex missile systems without the "direct participation of American military personnel."

Putin added that "the deliveries of American Tomahawk cruise missiles will not change the balance of power on the battlefield," noting that Russia's air defence systems had already adapted to similar Western weapon supplies.

He referred to the earlier delivery of long-range ATACMS missiles, which he said "caused some damage, but in the end, Russia's air defense systems adapted."

According to RT, the debate over Tomahawk deliveries began following a meeting between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month.

Reports suggested that Zelensky had specifically requested the missiles during that encounter.

Appearing on Fox News last Sunday, Vice President Vance said, "We're certainly looking at it."

The following day, special envoy Keith Kellogg hinted that Trump might have already authorised Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia.

Around the same time, the Financial Times quoted an unnamed US official who said that some within Trump's inner circle were sceptical about whether Tomahawks would significantly alter battlefield dynamics, RT reported.