Moscow – In a high-stakes gamble, President Vladimir Putin is attempting to reframe U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a direct confrontation, explicitly linking the supply of Tomahawk missiles to the involvement of American troops and a complete diplomatic rupture.
During a meeting with his military command, Putin stated it would be “impossible” for Ukraine to use Tomahawks without the direct participation of U.S. personnel. This argument is designed to portray the provision of these weapons not as aid, but as an act of war by Washington itself.
The consequence of crossing this line, Putin warned, would be a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” and the “destruction” of the relationship between the two countries. This rhetoric is a clear attempt to deter the White House from providing more advanced, long-range capabilities to Kyiv.
This geopolitical maneuvering is bolstered by Putin’s claims of battlefield superiority. He announced that his forces have seized control of almost 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land in 2025, giving Moscow what he terms the “complete strategic initiative.”
While Putin focuses on this superpower standoff, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy is highlighting a different form of conflict. His accusations that Russia is using oil tankers for spying and sabotage underscore the unconventional and increasingly complex nature of the war.