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It comes after Putin warned that US supply of the missiles to Kyiv would ‘lead to the destruction’ of Moscow-Washington relations
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Donald Trump has said he has “sort of” decided on whether to supply Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, after Moscow warned such a move would spell the end of Russia-US relations.
“I think I want to find out what they’re doing with them,” the US president told reporters after signing several executive orders at the White House on Monday evening.
“Where are they sending them? I guess I’d have to ask that question. I would ask some questions. I’m not looking to escalate that war.”
The questions came after a video clip from Vladimir Putin released on Sunday which said Moscow’s relationship with Washington would be over if the missiles were sent to Ukraine for long-range strikes into Russia.
“This will lead to the destruction of our relationship. Or at least the emerging positive trends in this relationship,” Putin said.
With a range of 2,500km, adding Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine’s artillery would put Moscow within range of a missile strike.
It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky criticised allied nations, including the UK and the US, after Western parts were found in Russian drones used to attack Ukraine on Sunday.
Russia hosted a delegation of Afghanistan‘s ruling Taliban government Tuesday and issued a strong warning against a foreign military presence in the country.
Speaking at the start of an international meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the Taliban government for efforts to combat the Islamic State and other extremist groups, as well as eradicate illegal drugs.
Lavrov emphasized that “the deployment of military infrastructure of any third countries on the territory of Afghanistan, as well as on the territories of neighboring states, is categorically unacceptable under any pretext.”
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Russia will send Dmitry Medvedev to North Korea for celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the country’s ruling party.
It comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined Vladimir Putin and others at a Chinese military parade in Beijing last month.
China’s Premier Li Qiang will also travel to North Korea in its highest-level visit since 2019.
A statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry called China and North Korea “traditional friends and neighbors” and said it is “an unswerving strategic policy” of the Chinese government and the ruling Communist Party “to maintain, consolidate and develop” relations with North Korea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of using oil tankers for intelligence gathering and sabotage operations.
Zelensky, writing in a post on Telegram after receiving a briefing from Ukraine’s foreign intelligence chief, said Ukraine was co-operating with allies on the matter.
“Currently, Russians are using tankers not only to earn money for the war, but also for reconnaissance and even sabotage activities. It is entirely possible to stop this.”
Russia and India have begun joint military drills in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan in a sign of deepening cooperation between Delhi and Moscow.
The Russian defence ministry said the “Indra 2025” drills would take place at the Mahajan range and continue until 15 October.
“The main goal of the drills is honing the cohesion of both countries’ units in the fight against terrorism, including the perfection of counter-terrorism operations’ tactics,” the ministry said.
Ukrainian soldiers carried out a successful counter-attack in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Kyiv’s military said.
The Skhval unit “eliminated” 50 Russian troops in a battle in Sichneve while eight others were taken prisoner, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Footage published on Telegram appeared to show Ukrainian troops advancing to a settlement and clearing out Russian positions. The footage could not be independently verified.
Sichneve lies at the administrative border with the key region of Donetsk, which Russian forces are desperate to capture.
Britain’s shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge has accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of “blaming Nato for provoking Putin”.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Mr Cartlidge said: “There are those who claim that Nigel Farage’s party are the true conservatives, but let us remind ourselves what happened when Putin launched his all-out invasion.
“On that day, what did Farage do? Whose side was he on as our continent was suddenly threatened with war for the first time since 1945? That day, he chose to blame Nato for provoking Putin.”
Farage has previously faced criticism for suggesting that the eastwards expansion of Nato was responsible for Russia’s invasion, rather than Putin’s imperialist ambitions.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan told Vladimir Putin in a phone call that more momentum is needed to achieve peace in Ukraine, his office said.
The statement cited Erdogan as saying Turkey will continue to work for peace.
It said bilateral relations and regional and global issues, including Turkey’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, were also discussed on the call.
Russia has said it is waiting for clarity on the possible supply of US Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
It comes after President Donald Trump said he had “sort of made a decision” on whether to send the missiles to Kyiv, but was waiting to hear how Ukraine planned to use them.
Asked about the comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We understand that we need to wait, probably, for clearer statements, if any come.”
Russia’s state nuclear energy company has claimed that a Ukrainian drone attempted to strike a nuclear plant in the Voronezh region, but did not cause damage.
In a statement, Rosenergoatom said the drone was “suppressed by technical means” and detonated after crashing into a cooling tower at the Novovoronezh plant.
“There was no damage or injuries; however, the detonation left a dark mark on the cooling tower. The safe operation of the nuclear power plant is ensured,” the company said, adding that radiation levels were normal and unchanged.
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