Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States that sending long-range missiles to Ukraine could severely harm Moscow-Washington relations but would not change the battlefield outcome, where Russian forces continue slow but steady advances.

Speaking at a forum of foreign policy experts in Sochi, Putin said supplying U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv would mark a “new stage of escalation,” but Russian air defenses would quickly adapt, keeping the battlefield balance unchanged.

On U.S. criticism, including former President Donald Trump calling Russia a “paper tiger,” Putin said Russia is fighting all NATO allies supporting Ukraine and continues to advance confidently.

Putin also praised Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine, calling their August Alaska summit productive, and reaffirmed Russia’s offer to extend the New START nuclear arms treaty for one year beyond February.

He strongly warned Western nations against interfering with Russian oil shipments, calling such moves piracy that could trigger a forceful response and destabilize global markets.

Regarding drone incursions over Europe, Putin dismissed Western claims of Russian involvement as attempts to boost defense spending, while warning that Russia would act if Europe’s militarization threatened its security.

Putin also commented on Charlie Kirk’s assassination, calling it a “heinous crime” and likening Kirk to Michael Gloss, an American who died fighting for Russia in Ukraine, saying both defended similar traditional values.

The Russian president repeatedly emphasized that Russia would respond firmly to perceived threats while defending its national interests and criticized Western narratives as distractions from domestic issues.