Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned US President Donald Trump during a phone call that providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles would jeopardize the peace process and strain relations between Washington and Moscow, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
“The delivery of Tomahawks would not change the battlefield situation but would harm US-Russia ties and the peace process,” Ushakov told reporters, summarizing the Kremlin’s view.
Putin initiated the nearly 2.5-hour call, Ushakov said, adding that the discussion covered Ukraine’s military actions, including attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Summit plans and follow-up talks
According to Ushakov, the two leaders agreed that a new Putin–Trump summit in Budapest will be preceded by a call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days.
The Kremlin said the meeting location is yet to be determined, though Trump later proposed Budapest, Hungary, and Putin “agreed immediately.”
Trump calls Ukraine war ‘the hardest to resolve’
During the conversation, Trump acknowledged the complexity of the conflict, saying the war in Ukraine was “the hardest of all to resolve.” Ushakov said Trump promised to consider Putin’s concerns when he meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday.
Trump reportedly told Putin that “the end of the conflict would open up amazing opportunities for economic cooperation with Russia.”
Tomahawks and red lines
Ukraine has long sought US Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles, which would bring Moscow and other major Russian cities within range of Ukrainian strikes.
Putin has repeatedly warned that supplying these weapons would cross a “red line.” Despite the warnings, Trump has kept the option on the table, saying earlier this week: “He’d like to have Tomahawks,” Trump said of Zelenskyy. “We have a lot of Tomahawks.”
Escalation on the battlefield
As diplomatic efforts continue, both sides have intensified attacks. Ukrainian President Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia launched more than 300 drones and 37 missiles overnight, targeting critical infrastructure across the country. Kyiv responded by striking a Russian oil refinery in the Saratov region.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy and power facilities during winter months, as the war enters its fourth year.
Trump is set to meet Zelenskyy on Friday, their fourth face-to-face meeting this year, where he is expected to discuss the Tomahawk missile proposal and potential diplomatic openings following his call with Putin.
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