Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Tuesday that Ukraine cannot be trusted to use American Tomahawk cruise missiles responsibly, stating such an assumption would be “a surprise” for him. During a press conference at the Valdai Discussion Club, Lavrov emphasized that Washington grants long-range weapons only to select nations and remains cautious about supplying them to others. He criticized U.S. public statements on the matter as efforts to reassure Ukraine’s European allies that Washington is “listening to their opinions.”
Russian officials have repeatedly accused the Ukrainian army of misusing Western-supplied weapons, including targeting civilians and arming paramilitaries linked to Ukraine’s military intelligence, which Moscow designates as terrorist groups. Recent discussions involving U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and former Trump envoy Keith Kellogg suggest Washington might consider providing Tomahawks to Ukraine, a request that dates back to the Biden administration. The Kremlin argues that even if delivered, such missiles would not alter the battlefield dynamic and insists U.S. personnel would likely operate them from Ukrainian territory.
