President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russia that he might send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow does not settle its war soon, signalling he could be prepared to escalate pressure on Vladimir Putin’s government using a key weapons system.
“I might say, ’Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Israel. “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that.”
Trump also added, "I might tell them that if the war is not settled -- that we may very well." He continued, "We may not, but we may do it. I think it’s appropriate to bring up.”
His remarks followed a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which Trump said he mentioned the possibility of sending Tomahawks.
“Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” Trump said of Russia. “I think I might speak to Russia about that.” He added that “Tomahawks are a new step of aggression.”
The comments came after Russia attacked Ukraine’s power grid overnight, part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt the country’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter. Moscow has expressed “extreme concern” over the potential provision of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.
President Putin has previously indicated that supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage Moscow–Washington relations.
Zelenskyy described his latest call with Trump as “very productive” and said they discussed strengthening Ukraine’s “air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities,” along with “details related to the energy sector.”
In an interview with Fox News Channel’s The Sunday Briefing, Zelenskyy was asked whether Trump had approved Tomahawks, replying: “we work on it.”
“I’m waiting for president to yes,” Zelenskyy said. “Of course we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see.”
On Friday, Zelenskyy noted that he is in talks with U.S. officials regarding the provision of long-range precision strike weapons, including Tomahawks and ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on Sunday that “the topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern.”
Trump, frustrated with Russia in his efforts to end the war, said last week that he has “sort of made a decision” on whether to send Tomahawks, without elaborating. A senior Ukrainian delegation is expected to visit the U.S. this week.
The U.S. president has recently taken a tougher stance with Putin, who has declined direct talks with Zelenskyy. Last month, Trump said he now believes Ukraine could retake all territory lost to Russia — a shift from his earlier calls for Kyiv to make concessions.
But Trump has so far resisted Zelenskyy’s requests for Tomahawks, which would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory. Aboard Air Force One, Trump said of the war: “I really think Putin would look great if he got this settled" and added, “It’s not going to be good for him” if he does not.
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