CaliToday (13/10/2025): A palpable sense of anxiety is rising within the Kremlin, fueled by sustained U.S. military aid to Ukraine and the growing possibility that Washington could supply Kyiv with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In a stark warning, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has painted a dangerous scenario, blending nuclear fears with past allegations to pressure the West.
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| Russian press secretary Dmitry Peskov |
Speaking to journalists, Peskov voiced what he described as Moscow's mounting dread. "The anxiety in the Kremlin has been increasing daily," he stated, directly linking it to the potential transfer of the highly capable long-range missiles.
"The Tomahawk issue is an extremely concerning matter for us—Putin himself has spoken about this," Peskov explained. "This is a weapon of a special kind that can have both nuclear and non-nuclear configurations."
The core of Moscow's stated fear lies in the inability to determine the nature of an incoming missile until it's too late. To amplify this threat, Peskov resurrected a two-year-old claim from Russia's intelligence agencies.
"Let's recall the information our special services published two years ago, that Ukraine may have managed to create a so-called 'dirty bomb'," he said. "Imagine a long-range missile is launched. It's in the air, and we realize that it could be carrying either a nuclear warhead or a 'dirty bomb'."
This rhetoric deliberately blurs the line between conventional warfare and nuclear escalation, a tactic seemingly designed to deter the U.S. and its allies from crossing a perceived red line.
After outlining this high-stakes scenario, Peskov abruptly pivoted to diplomacy, positioning Moscow as a proponent of peace while blaming Kyiv and its European partners for the ongoing conflict.
"Russia is ready for a peaceful settlement, and Trump is also calling for a seat at the negotiating table," Peskov lamented. "But the EU and Kyiv do not want to do anything in this direction."
This statement appears to be part of a broader diplomatic strategy: escalating nuclear threats to create leverage, while simultaneously claiming a desire for negotiations. However, for Ukraine and its allies, the message from the Kremlin is overshadowed by the reality on the ground. The call for peace is seen by many as hollow as long as Russian forces occupy Ukrainian territory, with the international consensus remaining that a just peace can only begin with a full withdrawal.