Putin says supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would destroy relations with the US.
Russian President warns that supplying long-range weapons to Kiev would represent an unprecedented escalation.
MOSCOW, October 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if the United States were to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles for long-range strikes inside Russia, it would lead to the destruction of Moscow's relationship with Washington.
Less than two months after US President Donald Trump met with Putin at a summit in Alaska, peace seems even more distant with Russian forces advancing in Ukraine, Russian drones reportedly flying in NATO airspace, and now Washington talking about direct involvement in deep strikes against the world's largest nuclear power.
Trump said he was disappointed with Putin for not making peace and called Russia a "paper tiger" for failing to subdue Ukraine. Putin responded last week, questioning whether NATO was also a "paper tiger" for failing to stop Russia's advance.
US Vice President JD Vance said last month that Washington was considering a Ukrainian request for long-range Tomahawk missiles that could reach deep into Russia, including Moscow, although it is unclear whether a final decision has been made.
"This will lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least of the positive trends that have emerged in these relations," Putin said in a video clip released Sunday by Russian state television reporter Pavel Zarubin.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the United States will provide Ukraine with information on long-range energy infrastructure targets in Russia, while evaluating the deployment of missiles from Kiev that could be used in such attacks. Two officials confirmed the newspaper's report to Reuters.
But a U.S. official and three other sources told Reuters that the Trump administration's desire to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine may not be feasible because current stockpiles are committed to the U.S. Navy and other uses.
Tomahawk cruise missiles have a range of 2.500 kilometers (1.550 miles), meaning that if Ukraine were to obtain the missiles, the Kremlin and all of European Russia would be within range.
Putin said on Thursday that it was impossible to use Tomahawks without the direct participation of the US military and, therefore, any supply of these missiles to Ukraine would trigger a "qualitatively new stage of escalation."
"This will signify a completely new and qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States," Putin said.
He added that the Tomahawks could harm Russia, but that the country would simply shoot them down and improve its own air defenses.
Putin portrays the war in Ukraine as a turning point in Moscow's relations with the West, which, according to him, humiliated Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 by expanding NATO and encroaching on what he considers Moscow's sphere of influence.
Leaders in Western Europe and Ukraine portray the war as an imperial-style land grab and have repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces. They argue that unless Russia is defeated, Putin risks attacking a NATO member, a claim Putin has repeatedly denied.