Putin vowed to continue “dialogue” after U.S. President Donald Trump shelved a summit between the two leaders on Tuesday, but vowed he could respond “overwhelmingly” if Ukraine acquires or uses U.S. Tomahawk missiles.
“Dialogue is always better than confrontation and any conflict, especially war. We have always supported the continuation of dialogue,” Putin told reporters.
But he added that if Russia were to be attacked with the U.S. Tomahawk missiles that Ukraine is seeking, “there would be a very strong, if not overwhelming, response. Let me think about it.”
The statement came in response to a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump administration had lifted key restrictions on Ukraine’s use of some long-range missiles provided by Western allies, and to questions about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s comments about indigenous missiles with a range of 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles).
Asked about recent U.S. sanctions targeting two major Russian oil companies, Putin said the levies were an “unfriendly” act and “will have certain consequences, but they will not have a significant impact on the economic health of our country.” He said Russia’s energy sector is confident.
“This is, of course, an attempt to put pressure on Russia,” Putin said. “But no self-respecting country or self-respecting citizen makes decisions under pressure.”
Putin added that an imbalance in the global energy market could lead to price increases that would be unpleasant for countries such as the United States, especially given the domestic political calendar.
MNA/