Putin warns Trump against arming Ukraine with Tomahawks, calls move threat to US-Russia peace and relations: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned US President Donald Trump in a phone call that supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles would jeopardize the peace process and strain relations between Washington and Moscow, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. “The delivery of Tomahawks will not change the battlefield situation, but will harm ties between the US and Russia and the peace process,” Ushakov told reporters, summing up the Kremlin’s view. Putin began the nearly 2.5-hour call, Ushakov said, adding that the discussion covered Ukraine’s military actions, including attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Summit plans and follow-up talks According to Ushakov, the two leaders agreed that a new Putin-Trump summit in Budapest in the coming days will be preceded by a call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Kremlin said the location of the meeting had yet to be determined, although Trump later suggested Budapest, Hungary, and Putin “immediately agreed.” Trump calls the war in Ukraine ‘the hardest to solve’ During the conversation, Trump acknowledged the complexity of the conflict and said the war in Ukraine is “the hardest of all to solve.” Ushakov said Trump promised to consider Putin’s concerns when he meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday. Trump reportedly told Putin that “the end of the conflict will open up wonderful opportunities for economic cooperation with Russia.” Tomahawks and red lines Ukraine has long sought US Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles, which would bring Moscow and other major Russian cities within range of Ukrainian strikes. Putin has repeatedly warned that supplying these weapons would cross a “red line”. Despite the warnings, Trump kept the option on the table, saying earlier this week: “He would like Tomahawks,” Trump said of Zelenskyy. “We have a lot of Tomahawks.” Escalation on the battlefield As diplomatic efforts continue, both sides have stepped up attacks. Ukrainian President Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia launched more than 300 drones and 37 missiles overnight, targeting critical infrastructure across the country. Kiev responded by striking a Russian oil refinery in the Saratov region. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy and power facilities during the winter months as the war enters its fourth year. Trump will meet Zelenskyy on Friday, their fourth face-to-face meeting this year, where he is expected to discuss the Tomahawk missile proposal and possible diplomatic openings after his call with Putin.