MOSCOW, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that if the United States decides to provide "Tomahawk" cruise missiles to Ukraine, it will escalate the situation in Ukraine to a new level.
Peskov said that the topic of providing "Tomahawk" cruise missiles has been repeatedly raised recently, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov having made remarks on the issue on multiple occasions.
"This will be a key driver for a new round of escalation of the situation in Ukraine," he noted, emphasizing that Russia's stance is crystal clear, and both the United States and Ukraine are well aware of it.
Peskov pointed out that in the event of a threat of "Tomahawk" cruise missile attacks, Russia will make every effort to ensure its own security, adding that Russia do its utmost to continue the special military operation until all objectives are achieved.
Peskov also noted that if there is an opportunity to shift the Ukraine issue onto a "political and diplomatic" settlement track, Russia will take such a step.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House this Friday. The two are expected to discuss the U.S. provision of "Tomahawk" cruise missiles to Ukraine, though Trump has not yet made a final commitment on the matter. ■
