Donald Trump has expressed willingness to provide Ukraine with powerful 550mph Tomahawk missiles to aid in their conflict against Russia, just prior to his upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared details of a conversation he had with the US president regarding the Tomahawk missiles.
Although Ukraine has received support from Western military forces since the conflict with Russia began in 2022, they have been seeking longer-range strike capabilities to potentially shift the course of the war. Trump has been hinting at the possibility of supplying Ukraine with these US-made missiles if Russia continues to resist a peaceful resolution three years after invading Ukraine.
Zelensky stated on October 12 that the prospect of receiving Tomahawks has caused concern in Russia, potentially influencing peace negotiations.
Putin has downplayed the threat of the missiles to Russia but warned of a significant escalation in US-Russia relations if they are supplied to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed Moscow’s extreme concern about the potential use of these weapons.
Tomahawk missiles, initially developed by the US in the 1970s, are high-precision subsonic cruise missiles with advanced navigation systems designed to strike valuable land targets from long distances.
With various configurations and launch platforms, Tomahawks have been used by the US in conflicts in Iraq, Libya, and Syria, proving their effectiveness. If Ukraine were to receive these missiles, they could target key Russian military assets deep inside Russia.
Zelensky emphasized that the intended use of the missiles is solely against military targets and not civilians. The specifics of the potential supply, including quantity and cost, remain uncertain, with different countries paying varying amounts for the missiles.
Despite initial indications of support, Trump appeared to backtrack on the issue of supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine, citing the need to consider the US’s own requirements for these missiles.