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In Speech In Sochi, Vladimir Putin Responded To Criticism From Donald Trump, Mocked NATO And Warned That The Sending Of Tomahawk Missiles To Ukraine Could Mark A New Phase Of The Conflict, With Risk Of Dangerous Escalation.
In a speech on Thursday (2) in Sochi, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, responded to criticisms from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, mocked NATO, and warned that the potential sending of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would represent a “new phase” of the confrontation, with the risk of “dangerous escalation” and direct involvement of American military personnel.
Putin Responds To Trump And Criticizes NATO
Putin reacted to a recent statement from Trump, who had classified Russia as a “paper tiger”.
“A paper tiger. So what? Let them deal with that paper tiger,” said the Russian president.
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He also questioned the role of the western military alliance: “If we are fighting against almost all of NATO and still making progress, then what is NATO?”.
He then said that European governments are fueling, in his words, a “hysteria” about an imminent war between Moscow and the alliance.
According to Putin, officials on the continent repeat this narrative to justify security measures.
“Calm down, sleep peacefully, and take care of your own problems,” he declared.
Drones And Accusations Of Air Violations
The Russian president also mocked accusations about the presence of Moscow drones in European airspace.
“I won’t send drones to Denmark anymore, I promise,” he said sarcastically.
He then denied responsibility for recent violations.
In recent months, authorities in Poland, Estonia, and Denmark reported alleged incursions of Russian drones and aircraft.
In some cases, such as in Denmark, there was even a temporary closure of airports.
Moscow denies authorship of these incidents.
Warning About Tomahawk Missiles
The most emphatic point of the speech was the warning about the possible transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Kiev.
For Putin, “it is impossible to use Tomahawks without direct involvement of American military personnel,” which, according to him, would mark “a completely new stage” in relations between Russia and the United States.
According to U.S. media reports, Washington is evaluating increasing support to Ukraine with intelligence information for attacks against infrastructure in Russian territory.
NATO countries have been urged to collaborate in this process.
Even so, according to American officials consulted by Reuters, the possibility of sending Tomahawks is considered unlikely at the moment.
Characteristics Of Tomahawk Missiles
The Tomahawk are cruise missiles used in precision long-range attacks.
The operational range varies by version, reaching thousands of kilometers.
Due to their characteristics, they require integration with navigation and command systems, which reinforces the argument that they would require specialized support for operation.
Position Of NATO And Ukraine
Meanwhile, European leaders state that Russia’s offensive constitutes a attempt at annexation and guarantee that they will continue providing armaments and training for Kiev.
Alliance officials assert that if Moscow is not contained, member countries could become future targets.
Putin, on the other hand, stated in Sochi that Ukraine is facing difficulties in recruiting soldiers and mentioned desertions in the ranks of the Ukrainian Army.
He added that Russia would maintain military capacity to sustain the offensive and advocated for opening negotiations.
Kiev, however, maintains the position that it will only accept an agreement that involves the recovery of occupied territories and security guarantees.
Debate On Limits Of Military Support
In the United States, officials indicated that the immediate focus is on sharing military intelligence to make more effective use of systems already available to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, sending Tomahawks faces technical and strategic barriers, such as the need for extended training and the potential interpretation by Moscow that there would be direct involvement of Washington in the conflict.
Putin’s warning in Sochi reinforces the Kremlin’s attempt to establish a red line on the provision of weapons.
According to him, the presence of Tomahawks on the battlefield would be interpreted as a turning point in the war.
The question that remains is whether Kiev’s allies will limit support to sharing information and supplying weapons already in use, or if they will decide to elevate the level of military assistance, risking crossing the boundaries set by Moscow.
