Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to keep channels of dialogue open Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a planned summit but warned of a potentially “overwhelming” response if Ukraine receives and uses U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles.
"Dialogue is always better than confrontation or any disputes, and especially war. We have always supported the continuation of dialogue," Putin told journalists.
But if Russia were attacked with U.S. Tomahawk missiles, which Ukraine seeks, the response would be "very strong, if not overwhelming," he added.
Putin also said that Russia would never bow to pressure from the U.S. or any other country, and cautioned that the response to any strikes deep into Russia would be very serious and overwhelming.
U.S. sanctions are an "unfriendly" act and "will have certain consequences, but they will not significantly affect our economic well-being," Putin said. Russia's energy sector feels confident, he said.
