Putin to US: Your Missiles, Your Personnel, Your Escalation

Moscow – In a pointed message to the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the potential supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine as an American-led escalation, arguing “your missiles, your personnel, your escalation.”
Putin’s logic, shared with his military command, is that the missiles cannot be operated without direct U.S. military participation. Therefore, he warned, their delivery would trigger a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” and would be the direct cause of the “destruction” of the US-Russia relationship.
This threat was made as Putin also claimed significant military progress. He reported that his forces had seized control of almost 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025, giving Moscow the “complete strategic initiative” in the conflict.
Meanwhile, a new front has opened in the war, according to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of using its oil tanker fleet for covert military purposes, including “reconnaissance and even sabotage activities.”
Zelenskyy expressed his determination to combat this. He stated that Kyiv is collaborating with its partners to address the issue, affirming his belief that “it is entirely possible to stop” this alleged misuse of civilian vessels.