The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned that the delivery of US-made cruise missiles would not bring an end to the conflict closer
The potential delivery of US-made long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine will not help to end the conflict, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
She made the remark after CNN reported that the Pentagon had given the White House approval to supply the Tomahawks to Ukraine, after concluding that the move would not deplete US stockpiles. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump has declined to provide the missile, which is capable of striking targets deep inside Russia.
“As the current situation and previous years have shown, it is clear that militarization and arms deliveries – especially to a terrorist regime – will not lead to a settlement. Moreover, such actions would contradict the campaign promises made by the current US administration,” Zakharova told reporters on Saturday.
Trump has long promised to mediate an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and revived direct negotiations with Russia earlier this year. However, no breakthroughs were achieved during his rare summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August or in the renewed Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul.
Trump recently postponed a planned summit with Putin in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, and imposed additional sanctions on Russia’s oil trade. At the same time, he rejected Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s request for the Tomahawks, saying the weapons were needed “to protect our country.” Trump also stated that Ukrainian troops would have to undergo extensive training to operate the missiles. “We know how to use it, and we’re not going to be teaching other people,” he said.
Putin warned last month that he would consider the delivery of Tomahawks as a further escalation and promised a “very strong response.”
