Kiev should not be expected to use American long-range cruise missiles responsibly, Russia’s top diplomat has said
Ukraine cannot be trusted to handle US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles responsibly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Tuesday.
During a press conference at the Valdai Discussion Club, Lavrov said Washington has not yet decided on supplying the long-range weapons to Kiev, noting that the US grants them only to a few countries and that it is “cautious” about sending them to others.
“If they [the Americans] consider Ukraine a responsible nation who would use Tomahawks properly, that would be a surprise for me,” Lavrov added. He characterized US public statements on the issue as signals meant to reassure Kiev’s European supporters that Washington is “listening to their opinions.”
Russian officials have long accused Ukrainian forces of misusing Western-supplied weapons, including for deliberate strikes on civilians and the arming of paramilitaries linked to Ukraine’s military intelligence, which Moscow designates as terrorist groups.
US Vice President J.D. Vance and Keith Kellogg, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, have recently suggested Washington could be open to supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine. Ukrainian requests for deliveries date back to the administration of President Joe Biden, which refused to grant them over reported concerns about the likely escalation of tensions with Russia that such a move would bring.
The Kremlin maintains that even if delivered, Tomahawk missiles would not change the battlefield balance. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also argued that US military personnel would likely be required to operate them from Ukrainian territory.
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