MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The Kremlin has issued an immediate and severe warning to Washington following reports that the U.S. is considering supplying long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. In a sternly worded statement on Friday, Moscow declared that such a move would be interpreted as a "red line" and would constitute direct participation by the United States in the conflict, promising "commensurate retaliatory measures."
The swift reaction came just hours after news broke that high-level discussions are underway within the Trump administration about providing the advanced, deep-strike weapons to Kyiv.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov addressed the reports during his daily press briefing, stating, "We are, of course, monitoring this situation very closely. The potential delivery of such missiles to the Kyiv regime is a matter of extreme concern."
"This would be an unprecedented step towards escalation," Peskov continued. "It would mean that the United States would become a direct participant in the conflict with all the ensuing consequences. We have said before, and we will say it again: Russia will not stand by idly. Our armed forces will be forced to take commensurate retaliatory measures to neutralize the threats that arise."
While the Kremlin did not specify what these "commensurate measures" would entail, the language used is among the strongest directed at Washington since the full-scale invasion began. It implies a readiness to potentially target U.S. assets or interests, dramatically increasing the risk of a direct clash between the world's two largest nuclear powers.
Russian military analysts and state media commentators have echoed the official line, suggesting that retaliation could include targeting the logistics hubs in NATO countries used to transfer the weapons, as well as the launch systems and personnel operating them within Ukraine. There is also discussion of deploying more advanced Russian strategic assets to forward positions.
This stark warning from Moscow is designed to create a powerful deterrent, forcing U.S. and NATO decision-makers to weigh the strategic benefits of arming Ukraine with such a potent weapon against the grave and unpredictable consequences of Russia's potential response. The Kremlin is making it unequivocally clear that it views the possible introduction of Tomahawk missiles not just as military aid, but as a fundamental change in the rules of engagement and a direct threat to the Russian Federation itself.
