Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to keep channels of dialogue open Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a planned summit but warned of a potentially “overwhelming” response if Ukraine receives and uses U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles.
"Dialogue is always better than confrontation or any disputes, and especially war. We have always supported the continuation of dialogue," Putin told journalists.
But if Russia were attacked with U.S. Tomahawk missiles, which Ukraine seeks, the response would be "very strong, if not overwhelming," he added.
Putin also said that Russia would never bow to pressure from the U.S. or any other country, and cautioned that the response to any strikes deep into Russia would be very serious and overwhelming.
U.S. sanctions are an "unfriendly" act and "will have certain consequences, but they will not significantly affect our economic well-being," Putin said. Russia's energy sector feels confident, he said.
"This is, of course, an attempt to put pressure on Russia," Putin said. "But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure."
Putin said breaking the balance in the global energy markets could lead to a hike in prices that would be uncomfortable for countries such as the United States, especially given the internal political calendar in the U.S.
Asked about a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump administration has lifted a key restriction on Ukraine's use of some long-range missiles provided by Western allies, and remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about domestic missiles with a range of 3,000 km (1,900 miles), Putin said: "This is an attempt at escalation."
"But if such weapons are used to attack Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming. Let them think about it," Putin said.
