Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko strongly criticized the United States’ intention to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, cautioning that such a move could dangerously escalate global tensions towards a nuclear conflict. The rebuke from Vladimir Putin’s close associate follows President Trump’s recent threat to provide Ukraine with these missiles as a means to pressure Russia into ending the ongoing conflict. Lukashenko emphasized that resorting to Tomahawks would not offer a solution but rather exacerbate the situation, potentially leading to nuclear warfare, as reported by Belarusian state media Belta.
Belarus has been facing severe sanctions from the West due to its support for Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, including permitting Russian troops on its territory, hosting Russian tactical nuclear weapons, and conducting joint military drills with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Trump for increased military assistance, emphasizing the need for air defense capabilities to sustain pressure on Russia.
The deployment of Tomahawk missiles, originally utilized in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq, presents a significant escalation in Ukraine’s firepower, enabling deep strikes into Russian territory. Trump acknowledged that sending these missiles would constitute a new form of aggression, expressing concerns about potential consequences that could intensify the conflict. Zelensky assured that Ukraine would only target Russian military sites and not civilians, stressing the distinction between Ukraine’s military objectives and Russia’s actions.
In response to Trump’s statements, Moscow swiftly reacted, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov highlighting the heightened tensions and the potential risks associated with long-range missile launches. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev mocked Trump, cautioning that supplying these missiles could lead to detrimental outcomes for all parties involved, particularly Trump himself. Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov warned that sending Tomahawks to Ukraine could provoke a crisis akin to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
As Russia intensifies attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure ahead of winter, recent strikes near Odesa and the Chernihiv region resulted in casualties, amidst rising concerns of further escalation in the conflict.