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