Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning to the United States as the war in Ukraine nears its fourth year. He said that supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would be an escalation. “This is an attempt at escalation, but if strikes with such weapons are carried out on Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not downright devastating. Let them think about that,” Putin told journalists.

Despite the warning, he emphasized the importance of dialogue over conflict. “Dialogue is always better than confrontation or any disputes, and especially war. We have always supported the continuation of dialogue,” he added.

Trump Rejects Kyiv’s Access to Tomahawks

In Washington, former US President Donald Trump dismissed the possibility of Ukraine receiving Tomahawk missiles. He said the weapons are complex and require extensive training. “It’ll take a minimum of 6 months or usually a year to learn how to use them. They’re highly complex. So the only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it, and we’re not going to do that,” Trump said at the Oval Office.

He also stated, “We know how to use it and we’re not going to be teaching other people.”

US Imposes Sanctions on Russian Oil Firms

Trump further announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. These are the first major sanctions since his return to office.

Putin acknowledged the sanctions but downplayed their impact, calling them “serious for us, of course, that is clear. And they will have certain consequences, but they will not significantly impact our economic well-being.” He described the measures as an “unfriendly act” that “does not strengthen Russia-US relations, which have only just begun to recover.”