SOCHI: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the issue of possible US Tomahawk cruise missiles for Ukraine has not been resolved...
SOCHI: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the issue of possible US Tomahawk cruise missiles for Ukraine has not been resolved.
"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. I don’t think we have seen the final decision," Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of the 22nd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
He also said he would be surprised if the United States considered Ukraine a responsible state to receive Tomahawks.
"The Americans don’t supply Tomahawks to everyone. Among Europeans, if I’m not mistaken, they supply them to Spain and the Netherlands; they’re somewhat wary of the rest. If they believe that Ukraine is a responsible nation that will use them responsibly, that would be surprising to me," he added.
Lavrov cited remarks by US officials, including Keith Kellogg, the US Presidential Special Envoy for Ukraine, and Vice President JD Vance. He noted that Kellogg has taken a strongly pro-Ukraine stance, even as President Donald Trump has described himself as a mediator who says Ukraine and Russia should resolve issues directly. Kellogg recently advised Ukraine to accept reality and de facto acknowledge that the territory is what it is now, and to stop worrying about it, drawing an analogy about the Baltic states’ status during the Soviet era and their later independence. Lavrov said such remarks contrast with Trump’s position and indicated that many speakers at the meeting were promoting the Ukrainian agenda.
He concluded by saying that the Kremlin is confident that even if Tomahawks are deployed in Ukraine, they will not change the military equation.
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