Watch moment Vladimir Putin mysteriously sways as he takes aim at 'unfriendly' US

The Russian leader's remarks came after President Trump imposed restrictions on Russia's two biggest oil corporations on Wednesday evening, aiming to compel Moscow towards peace negotiations with Ukraine.

Putin appeared unable to stand still as he specifically addressed the possibility of Ukraine receiving American Tomahawk missiles, cautioning that deployment of such long-range weaponry against Russian territory would trigger what he described as a "very serious, if not overwhelming" response.

Despite the military rhetoric, Putin emphasised that "dialogue is always better than war."

The Russian president characterised any potential strikes using Tomahawk missiles or similar long-range systems as "an attempt at escalation," according to his statements to journalists on Thursday.

"Let them think about it," Putin warned, emphasising the gravity of such a scenario.

His comments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's earlier assertion that Ukraine has not employed American long-range weapons to target Russia.

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Putin's language varied between describing the potential Russian reaction as "stunning," "shocking," or "overwhelming," underscoring Moscow's stance on what it would consider a significant provocation requiring forceful retaliation.

The Russian leader's response to what he termed Trump's "unfriendly act" balanced threats of forceful military action with expressions of preference for continued engagement between Moscow and Washington.

He said: "Of course, this is an unfriendly act towards Russia, this is an obvious thing, and it does not strengthen Russian-American relations, which have just begun to recover. Of course, with such actions the US administration damages Russian-American relations.

"This, of course, is an attempt to put pressure on Russia. But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decide anything under pressure. And, of course, Russia has such a privilege to feel and consider itself on this list of self-respecting countries and peoples."

Trump revealed his frustration with the diplomatic process, noting that whilst he maintains "good conversations" with Putin, "they don't go anywhere."

The American president's decision to sanction Russia's petroleum giants represents an effort to leverage economic pressure for Ukrainian peace talks.

The sanctions specifically target Russia's two most significant oil companies, representing a substantial escalation in American economic measures designed to influence Moscow's military operations in Ukraine.

The Russian leader's dual messaging emerged clearly in his Thursday statements, where he affirmed intentions to pursue "dialogue" with his American counterpart despite the recent sanctions announcement.