Putin Warns US About Sending Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the US that supplies of long-range missiles to Ukraine will seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington but will not change the situation on the battlefield, where the Russian army is making steady advances. The potential supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv would signal a "qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the US," Putin said Thursday at a forum of international foreign policy experts in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The Russian president said that even though Tomahawk missiles will inflict damage on Russia if supplied to Ukraine, Russian air defenses will quickly adapt to the new threat. "It will certainly not change the balance of force on the battlefield," he added, emphasizing that the Russian military is continuously making gains against Ukraine. Putin also issued a stern warning to Ukraine's Western allies against trying to seize ships that carry Russian oil to global markers. He argued that could trigger a forceful response while sharply destabilizing the global oil market. "It's piracy, and how do you deal with pirates? You destroy them," he said.