Putin Warns of ‘Devastating’ Response If US Tomahawks Missile Strike Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning to the United States, stating that any strike on Russian territory using American-made Tomahawk missiles would provoke a “serious, if not downright devastating” response. The threat comes as the war in Ukraine inches towards its fourth year and follows fresh US sanctions against major Russian oil companies.”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 stern warning, the Russian leader maintained that dialogue is always preferable to conflict. “Dialogue is always better than confrontation or any disputes, and especially war. We have always supported the continuation of dialogue,” he added.However, in Washington, US President Donald Trump appeared to quash any speculation that Ukraine would receive the advanced long-range missiles. Trump highlighted the complexity of the weapon system, noting the extensive training required to operate it. “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 told reporters at the Oval Office.This exchange comes as the US imposed new sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, marking the first such action since Trump returned to office.

Putin acknowledged the sanctions as an “unfriendly act” and conceded they were “serious,” but downplayed their overall economic impact. “They will have certain consequences, but they will not significantly impact our economic well-being,” Putin said, adding that the move does not help Russia-US relations, “which have only just begun to recover.”