In his Oct. 2 Q&A session with the Valdai Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked about reports that the U.S. was considering sending long-range Tomahawks to Ukraine. “The deliveries of American Tomahawk cruise missiles will not change the balance of power on the battlefield,” Putin stated, “but the possible use of such weapons by Ukraine would damage relations between Russia and the United States,” at a moment when Russia already “sees the light at the end of the tunnel” in its relations with the U.S.
According to RT, Putin explained that the Tomahawks’ operation would be “impossible” without the “direct participation of American military personnel.”
Putin also compared the potential deployment to earlier deliveries of long-range U.S. ATACMS missiles to Kiev. “There were ATACMS, and what? Yes, they caused some damage, but in the end, Russia’s air defense systems adapted. Can Tomahawks cause damage? Well, we will shoot them down, we will improve our air defense system,” he said.
Western media, including Financial Times and Reuters generally believe the deployment of Tomahawks in Ukraine is unlikely. Current inventories are committed to the U.S. Navy and other uses, an unnamed U.S. official and three sources told Reuters.
