The Kremlin issued an ominous warning Monday, claiming that President Trump’s potential decision to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles could “end badly for everyone.” Russian officials suggested that such a move would cross what they consider a red line and could trigger a direct confrontation between Washington and Moscow.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Moscow would view any Tomahawk launch as a possible nuclear strike, since the missiles can carry either conventional or nuclear payloads. “The Americans must understand—our systems cannot tell the difference,” Medvedev said. “Any launch will be treated as a threat to Russia’s existence.”
The comments come as Trump continues to weigh whether to approve the delivery of long-range missiles to Kyiv after months of Ukrainian requests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has argued that Tomahawks could decisively shift momentum on the battlefield and force Moscow to negotiate, but Trump has made clear he will only approve the transfer if it serves the goal of ending the war quickly.
“Peace through strength doesn’t mean escalation—it means leverage,” Trump said during a recent meeting with military advisors. He has emphasized that his administration’s objective is to secure a durable peace deal, not another prolonged proxy conflict.
Still, the Kremlin’s rhetoric has grown sharper since the discussion of Tomahawk deployment began. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that sending the missiles would destroy remaining diplomatic ties between Moscow and Washington. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov went further, accusing the U.S. of “deliberately pushing the world toward catastrophe.”
Despite the threats, sources close to the White House say the Trump administration views Moscow’s warnings as an attempt to intimidate the West and prevent Ukraine from gaining critical leverage. Officials note that Russia issued similar threats when the U.S. provided Patriot air defense systems and F-16s—none of which resulted in direct confrontation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has advised that the U.S. can maintain escalation control through limited, tightly monitored deliveries, ensuring missiles are used only against high-value military targets deep inside occupied territory. “We can deter aggression without inviting chaos,” Hegseth said in a briefing last week.
For now, the standoff underscores the high-stakes nature of Trump’s peace strategy: combining overwhelming strength with strict limits on American involvement. Whether the Kremlin’s threats are genuine or just another bluff remains to be seen—but in Washington, few doubt that the decision on Tomahawks could define the next phase of the war, and possibly the global balance of power.
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