Moscow – President Vladimir Putin appears to be using claimed battlefield gains as justification for issuing increasingly stark escalation threats to the West. After announcing the capture of nearly 5,000 square kilometers in Ukraine this year, he warned the U.S. against supplying Tomahawk missiles.
The territorial claim was presented as evidence that Russia holds the “complete strategic initiative.” This narrative of success underpins his confidence in warning other nations against what he perceives as interference.
The warning to Washington was unequivocal. Putin stated that providing Tomahawks to Ukraine would represent a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” because it would imply direct U.S. military involvement. The consequence, he said, would be the destruction of their relationship.
While Putin engaged in high-stakes geopolitical maneuvering, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted a different form of Russian aggression. He accused Moscow of using its oil tanker fleet for spying and sabotage.
Zelenskyy, however, remained defiant. He assured that Ukraine is collaborating with its partners to put an end to these alleged covert operations, stating with conviction that “it is entirely possible to stop this.”
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