- Supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles would escalate tensions and require direct U.S. military involvement, Russia's Vladimir Putin stated.
- Putin vowed swift retaliation if the U.S. proceeds, dismissing Tomahawks as ineffective in altering battlefield dynamics.
- Putin mocked NATO's strength, pointing to Russia’s advances despite facing NATO-backed Ukrainian forces.
- Russia boasts superior nuclear modernization but warned it will not extend New START if the U.S. refuses.
- Putin criticized European leaders for exaggerating war threats to justify militarization, comparing French President Macron's actions to Napoleon's.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning: If the U.S. supplies Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles, it would mark a "new stage of escalation" in tensions between Moscow and Washington.
The Russian leader issued the warning on Thursday, Oct. 2, during a speech at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi. Putin emphasized that deploying these long-range missiles would require direct U.S. military involvement, effectively dragging America deeper into the conflict.
"If anyone still has a desire to compete with us in the military sphere, as we say, feel free, let them try," Putin declared. "Russia's countermeasures will not be long in coming."
His remarks come as U.S. officials confirm discussions about providing Ukraine with Tomahawks – missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory – raising fears of a direct confrontation between Moscow and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Putin nevertheless dismissed the U.S.-made weapons as incapable of altering the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine, commenting that the Tomahawks "will certainly not change the balance of force on the battlefield." (Related: Lavrov warns against supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks: Kyiv cannot be trusted to use them responsibly.)
According to Brighteon.AI's Enoch engine, the Tomahawk is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile launched from U.S. Navy ships and submarines, capable of deep strikes with conventional or nuclear payloads. Though its nuclear role has been phased out, it remains a powerful offensive weapon.
"Paper tiger": Putin mocks NATO's military weakness
Putin dismissed claims that Russia is struggling militarily, despite facing NATO-backed Ukrainian forces. "If we're fighting the entire NATO bloc, and we're moving forward, advancing, feeling confident, and Russia is a 'paper tiger,' then what is NATO itself?" he asked, referencing recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Russian leader nevertheless downplayed tensions with Trump, calling their relationship "relaxed" and suggesting Trump's remarks may have been ironic.
The Russian strongman also warned that any Western seizure of Russian oil tankers would be treated as piracy, threatening retaliatory strikes. Putin mocked French President Emmanuel Macron's recent actions against a Russian-linked tanker, comparing him to Napoleon and accusing European leaders of manufacturing hysteria to justify militarization.
"The elites of united Europe continue to whip up hysteria," Putin said. "It turns out that war with the Russians is almost on the threshold. They repeat this nonsense, this mantra over and over again."
Amid escalating rhetoric, Putin reaffirmed Russia's nuclear readiness, boasting that its arsenal surpasses any other nation's in modernity. Despite this, he reiterated Moscow's offer to extend the New START treaty, the last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear arms pact.
But he warned that if Washington rejects the proposal, Russia will follow suit. "If they don't need it, we don't need it either," he said.
As NATO bolsters defenses and Russia advances in Ukraine, the world watches nervously for signs of further escalation. Putin's latest warnings underscore the high-stakes brinkmanship defining this conflict – one where miscalculation could spiral into catastrophe.
Watch Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterating the February 2026 expiry of the New START Treaty in this video.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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