Putin warns of ‘new stage of escalation’ if U.S. supplies long-range missiles to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the potential supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine would mark a “completely new stage of escalation” between Washington and Moscow.

Speaking on Thursday at a forum in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin conceded that the supply of “powerful” U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv posed a threat to Russia but would not change the situation on the battlefield.

“Can Tomahawks harm us? They can. But we will shoot them down and improve our air defense system,” Putin said, according to an NBC translation.

“Using Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel is impossible. This would mark a qualitatively new, completely new stage of escalation between Russia and the U.S.,” he added.

His comments come shortly after it was reported the U.S. would provide Ukraine with intelligence on long-range energy infrastructure targets deep inside Russia, a move that would represent a significant shift in White House support for Kyiv.

The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, citing unnamed U.S. officials, both reported on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s administration had approved intelligence sharing with Ukraine, while weighing up whether to send Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv.

CNBC has contacted the White House for comment.

The supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are known to have a range of at least 1,500 miles (roughly 2,400 kilometers), would significantly boost Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian targets.

Asked about Trump’s recent characterization of Russia as a “paper tiger,” Putin said Russian troops “confidently” held the strategic initiative and were making gains in Ukraine.

“But if we’re fighting the entire NATO bloc and we’re moving forward, feeling confident, and it’s a paper tiger. What then of NATO itself? What does it represent?” Putin said.

A paper tiger is a term that typically refers to a force that appears powerful but is ineffective.

The U.S. president, in a major rhetorical shift, also said last month that Ukraine could retake territory captured by Russia.

In a social media post published Sept. 23, Trump said his view came after “getting to know and fully understand” Russia and Ukraine’s military and economic situation, noting what he described as the “economic trouble” that the conflict is causing in Moscow.

The U.S. president has previously suggested Ukraine would need to be open to giving up some of its territory in peace talks, which Washington has taken steps to broker since the start of Trump’s second mandate.

Russia, meanwhile, is poised to hike taxes on business and consumers as the government looks for ways to support its war-focused economy after more than three-and-half years of conflict.

European Union political leaders on Wednesday backed plans for a so-called drone wall on the region’s eastern flank, seeking to bolster its defenses and repel Russia following a series of airspace incursions in recent weeks.

Defense giants have welcomed the concept, although the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has not yet produced a plan on how to finance and operate the project.

Putin on Thursday said the Kremlin is “closely monitoring” what he described as the “growing militarization of Europe. Is it just empty talk, or is it time for us to take countermeasures?”

Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania — EU and NATO members on Europe’s northern and eastern flank close to Russia — have all recently reported airspace incursions allegedly involving Russian jets or drones.

Germnany, Denmark and Norway, meanwhile, have also reported unidentified drones in their airspace in recent days, with the incidents leading to significant disruption to airports and air traffic.

Russia has previously denied it’s behind the drone provocations against its European neighbors, describing them as “unfounded accusations.”

— CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report.