Moscow [Russia], October 10 : Russian President Vladimir Putin mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's suggestion linking Tomahawk missile supplies to a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Donald Trump, calling the proposal "ridiculous" and saying the Nobel Committee does not consider Zelenskyy's opinion when awarding the prize.
Responding to a question on Zelenskyy's suggestion, Putin said, "Well. I think the opinion of the current head of the Kyiv regime was not something that the Nobel Committee was interested in when they were making a decision. But making this connection between the Nobel Peace Prize and weapon supplies is ridiculous, and it just demonstrates the level of the current Kyiv regime."
Zelenskyy had earlier said that he would support Trump's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize if the US president provided Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and helped broker a ceasefire with Russia, Politico reported.
"During our most recent meeting, I didn't hear a 'no.' What I did hear was that work will continue at the technical level and that this possibility will be considered," Zelenskyy told journalists in Kyiv about a meeting he held with the US president on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York at the end of September.
He further said, "The plan for ending the war won't be easy, but it is certainly the way forward. And if Trump gives the world -- above all, the Ukrainian people -- the chance for such a ceasefire, then yes, he should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. We will nominate him on behalf of Ukraine."
Zelenskyy also suggested that Tomahawk missiles, which can fly up to 1,500 kilometres, could strengthen Ukraine's position and "sober the Russians up a bit, bringing them to the negotiating table."
He noted that Kyiv had requested the long-range missiles during US President Joe Biden's term, but the request was rejected, as per Politico.
Trump has campaigned to receive the prestigious award, claiming he has ended seven wars.
On the missile issue, Trump said, "I sort of made a decision pretty much. I think I want to find out what they're doing with them, where they're sending them, I guess. I have to ask that question," adding that he did not want escalation.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned that supplying Tomahawks to Kyiv "would lead to a new serious stage of escalation in the Ukrainian crisis ... but also cause irreparable damage to Russian-American relations."