Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and a close ally of Vladimir Putin, said that the giving of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could “end badly for everyone”
A Vladimir Putin ally mocked the ‘star-spangled uncle’ Donald Trump and said that the sending of Tomahawk missiles “could end badly for everyone and first of all for Trump himself”.
The US president has warned Russia that he may give Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesn’t settle its war there soon — suggesting that he could be ready to increase the pressure on Putin’s government using a key weapons system. And now Putin lieutenant Dmitry Medvedev – former Russian president – responded with the warning: “The delivery of these missiles could end badly for everyone and first of all for Trump himself.”
Medvedev, Putin’s deputy on the Russian security council, said on Telegram: “It has been said a hundred times in a way even understandable to the star-spangled uncle that it is impossible to distinguish nuclear Tomahawks from conventional ones in flight.”
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There has been no suggestion any Tomahawks supplied to Kyiv would be nuclear-capable – but Moscow relentlessly repeats this claim. “Their launch will not be carried out by….Kyiv, but by the USA,” said Medvedev, implying they will need American input into targeting and launching. “Read: Trump. How to respond to Russia? Exactly!”
Medvedev hoped the Tomahawk deployment threat was “another empty threat” from Trump after his talks with Volodymyr Zelensky. “Like sending nuclear submarines closer to Russia,” he mocked. “Well, you know how it goes: a submarine surfaced in the steppes of Ukraine.”
Trump earlier warned Medvedev – a “failed former president of Russia” – to “watch his words” after a previous warning that the US was risking all-out war with Russia. “He is treading on very dangerous ground,” said Trump.
Medvedev’s latest tirade was a reply to Trump’s words on Tomahawk to journalists on Air Force One en route to Israel. Tomahawks with a 1,500 mile range could hit major cities Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as multiple strategic targets across Russia west of the Urals.
“I might have to speak to Russia to be honest with you about Tomahawks,” said the US president. “Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so.
“I think I might speak to R about that in all fairness. I told that to President Zelensky because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression….. I might talk to [Putin]. I might say: ‘Look, if this war is not going to get settled I am going to send them Tomahawks.
“I may say that, Tomahawk it’s an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon, and honestly Russia does not need that. They don’t need that. I might tell them, if the war is not settled we may very well do that.”