Putin warns of overwhelming response to Western-backed Ukrainian strikes

In a sharp yet measured warning wrapped in defiance, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, 23 October, cautioned that any decision to arm Ukraine with long-range weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles would invite an “overwhelming, stunning” response from Moscow.

Speaking on the sidelines of the XVII Congress of the Russian Geographical Society, Putin’s remarks came amid a swirl of fresh tensions — the abrupt cancellation of the proposed Budapest summit, new Western sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest oil giants, and renewed discussions in Washington about expanding Kyiv’s strike capabilities.

The Russian leader denounced the latest sanctions as “another futile attempt to bend Russia’s will”, declaring that “no self-respecting nation can bow to outside pressure, least of all a nation like Russia.”

He reminded reporters that many of the existing restrictions were first imposed during Donald Trump’s initial term, underscoring what he described as Washington’s “habitual coercion” masked as diplomacy.

Putin also sought to temper talk of a diplomatic freeze, revealing that the cancelled Budapest meeting — originally proposed by Trump on 16 October phone call — was viewed in Moscow “not as a cancellation, but a postponement.” He hinted that quiet back-channel communications between the two sides continue, remarking pointedly, “We believe dialogue is better than dispute, and dispute better than war.”

Turning to the economic battlefield, Putin warned that Washington’s latest sanctions on Russian crude would ultimately boomerang. “American consumers will feel the pinch,” he said, predicting soaring oil prices just as the United States heads into a crucial election season, with congressional and gubernatorial races poised to test Trump’s political fortunes.

Firm yet composed, Putin’s words painted a portrait of a Kremlin determined to project strength — one that, in his own phrasing, refuses to yield “to pressure, however loud or distant its echo may be.”

With PTI inputs