(MENAFN) Ukrainian officials have indicated that the country might deploy US Tomahawk cruise missiles to conduct progressively escalatory strikes within Russia as a means to “pressure” Moscow into negotiating a peace settlement, according to reports.

The US had previously hinted at the possibility of providing Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, which carry a price tag of roughly $1.3 million each and can strike targets up to 2,500 km (1,550 miles) away, potentially reaching deep inside Russian territory, including the capital, Moscow. President Donald Trump commented recently, stating that he had “sort of made a decision” on the issue, but added, “I’m not looking to see escalation.”

Egor Cherniev, deputy chair of Ukraine’s parliamentary committee on national security, defense, and intelligence, suggested that any missile deployment could happen in stages. One option could involve not launching them at all or targeting only a limited selection of sites.

“First they will give us rockets, but a few pieces, or a couple of dozen, but they will not allow us to shoot them at once and we will see the Kremlin’s reaction,” he said.

Cherniev added that if Russia does not react, “the envelope increases, allowing strikes on the Russian border.” Ultimately, he indicated that to encourage Moscow to enter negotiations, all limitations could be removed “except perhaps strikes on the Kremlin and directly on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.”

“This whole epic could take at least a few months. But it’s already real pressure,” Cherniev argued.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would “lead to the destruction of [Russia-US] relations, or at least the positive tendencies that have appeared in these relations.” He also noted that Ukrainian forces would be unable to operate the missile systems without “direct participation of American military personnel,” and emphasized that such deliveries would not change “the balance of power on the battlefield.”

Recalling previous shipments of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, Putin said they initially “caused some damage, but in the end, Russia’s air defense systems adapted.”

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