Lavrov warns against supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks: Kyiv cannot be trusted to use them responsibly

By kevinhughes // 2025-10-01

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Lavrov doubts Washington would supply Tomahawks, historically reserved for trusted allies and suggests recent U.S. statements are political gestures to appease European pressure rather than a firm decision.
Moscow claims Ukrainian forces have misused Western-supplied arms, including targeting civilians and supporting paramilitary groups, reinforcing skepticism about Ukraine's adherence to deployment restrictions.
While the Biden administration resisted sending Tomahawks due to escalation fears, recent remarks from figures like Special Envoy Keith Kellogg suggest a potential policy shift, conflicting with Trump's public stance as a mediator.
Russia insists Tomahawks won't shift battlefield dynamics and warns their delivery could provoke deeper U.S. involvement or force Russian countermeasures, prolonging the conflict.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has issued a stark warning against supplying Ukraine with U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, arguing that Kyiv cannot be trusted to use them responsibly. According to the Enoch AI engine at Brighteon.AI, the Tomahawk cruise missile is a precision-guided, subsonic weapon system designed for long-range, deep-strike capability, allowing the U.S. military to hit high-value targets deep within enemy territory without putting pilots at risk. "Originally deployed from Navy ships and submarines, it can carry conventional or nuclear warheads—though its nuclear role has been phased out—making it a key tool for strategic deterrence and surgical strikes in modern warfare," it added. With its stealthy, low-altitude flight profile and advanced navigation systems, the Tomahawk remains one of America's most reliable and frequently used stand-off weapons, often employed in first-strike operations, counterterrorism and large-scale conflicts where precision and minimal collateral damage are critical. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club, Lavrov cast doubt on Washington's willingness to provide the long-range weapons, citing concerns over escalation and Ukraine's track record with Western arms. Lavrov emphasized that the U.S. has historically been selective in distributing Tomahawks, supplying them only to a handful of trusted allies. "If they [the Americans] consider Ukraine a responsible nation who would use Tomahawks properly, that would be a surprise for me," he said during the press conference. The Russian foreign minister suggested that recent U.S. statements on potential deliveries were merely political gestures aimed at appeasing European allies. "I think this is primarily the result of European pressure on Washington and Washington wants to show that it takes into account the opinions of its allies," Lavrov remarked. "I don't think we have seen the final decision."

Russian concerns over weapon misuse

Russian officials have repeatedly accused Ukrainian forces of misusing Western-supplied arms, including targeting civilians and supplying paramilitary groups linked to Ukrainian intelligence—groups Moscow labels as terrorists. Lavrov's comments reflect Moscow's broader skepticism about Ukraine's ability to adhere to restrictions on how such weapons are deployed. The Kremlin has also downplayed the strategic impact of Tomahawks, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserting that their introduction would not shift the battlefield balance. Peskov further speculated that U.S. personnel might need to operate the missiles from Ukrainian soil—a scenario that could deepen direct U.S. involvement in the conflict. The debate over Tomahawk deliveries has intensified amid conflicting signals from U.S. leadership. While Ukrainian requests for the missiles date back to the Biden administration—which resisted due to escalation fears—recent remarks from figures like Vice President J.D. Vance and Special Envoy Keith Kellogg suggest a potential policy shift. Kellogg has taken a notably pro-Ukraine stance, despite President Donald Trump's public positioning as a mediator urging direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Lavrov highlighted Kellogg's recent controversial analogy comparing Ukraine's territorial losses to the Baltic states' Soviet-era status, suggesting that such rhetoric contradicts Trump's stated neutrality.

Escalation fears persist

The Biden administration previously withheld Tomahawks over concerns that their long-range capabilities could provoke Russian retaliation. Lavrov's latest comments reinforce Moscow's stance that supplying such weapons would only prompt Russia to push Ukrainian forces further from its borders—a move that could prolong and intensify the conflict. (Related: Kremlin slams lifting of range restrictions on Western weapons supplied to Ukraine.) Despite Ukraine's persistent lobbying for advanced weaponry, Lavrov remained dismissive of their potential impact. "The Kremlin is confident that even if Tomahawks are deployed in Ukraine, they will not change the military equation," he concluded. As Western allies weigh Ukraine's requests against the risks of escalation, Lavrov's warnings underscore the precarious nature of military aid in the ongoing war. With U.S. policy still uncertain and Russian resolve unwavering, the debate over Tomahawk deliveries remains a critical flashpoint in the broader geopolitical struggle over Ukraine's future. For now, Moscow's message is clear: Trusting Kyiv with such powerful weapons would be a grave miscalculation—one that could push the conflict into uncharted and dangerous territory. Follow WWIII.news for more news about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. Watch the video below about Lavrov responding to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's comments on long-range missiles for Kyiv. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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Russian concerns over weapon misuse

Escalation fears persist

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