Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any U.S. decision to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles would lead to the “complete destruction” of relations between Moscow and Washington.

The stark warning comes amid rapidly deteriorating relations between the two nuclear powers, less than two months after U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin met at the Alaska Summit, where both sides had pledged to explore diplomatic channels. Those efforts now appear to have collapsed as the conflict intensifies across multiple fronts.

In remarks broadcast on Russian state television, Putin stated that the transfer of Tomahawks to Ukraine would represent “a direct participation of U.S. military personnel in the conflict.” He warned that Moscow would view such an act as an existential threat.

“This will lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged,” Putin said in a clip shared by journalist Pavel Zarubin. “If Tomahawks are used against Russia, we will respond accordingly.”

The Russian leader’s statement follows reports that Washington is considering a Ukrainian request for long-range Tomahawk missiles, capable of striking targets up to 2,500 kilometers away — a range that could put key Russian cities, including Moscow, within reach.

U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, confirmed last month that the request was under review but stressed that no final decision had been made. Analysts say that logistical challenges and limited Tomahawk inventories — already allocated for U.S. naval operations — may complicate any potential transfer.

According to Reuters, one U.S. official and three additional sources acknowledged that allocating Tomahawks to Ukraine would require reconfiguring current stockpiles, a step the Pentagon has so far been reluctant to take.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. has already provided Kyiv with “real-time intelligence” for targeting energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory — a development Moscow sees as an escalation tantamount to direct Western involvement.

Despite his warnings, Putin sought to project confidence, declaring that Russia would “shoot down” any Tomahawks launched at its territory and continue improving its air defense systems. Still, his broader tone reflected a deep concern about crossing what he called a “red line” in Russia-U.S. relations.

The latest exchange of threats comes amid heightened rhetoric between the two leaders. Trump recently described Russia as a “paper tiger” unable to achieve a decisive victory in Ukraine, while Putin fired back by suggesting NATO itself may be the “paper tiger” given its failure to halt Russian advances.

Putin has long portrayed the Ukraine conflict as a historic struggle against Western domination, accusing NATO of exploiting Russia’s post-Soviet weakness and expanding eastward in violation of previous understandings. Western leaders, by contrast, describe Russia’s invasion as an imperialist war of aggression, warning that if Moscow is not defeated in Ukraine, it could eventually threaten NATO territory.

As both sides escalate their rhetoric and military posturing, global observers fear that the conflict could slip further toward direct confrontation between the world’s two largest nuclear powers. With diplomacy stalled and military options widening, tensions between Washington and Moscow have reached their most perilous point since the end of the Cold War. (ILKHA)