WASHINGTON DC – US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Moscow on Sunday, suggesting he would arm Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles if Russia does not move quickly to settle the ongoing war.
The high-stakes threat, delivered to reporters as Trump flew to the Middle East, marks a potential dramatic escalation of US military aid to Kyiv and comes after a morning phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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“I might say [to Putin], ‘Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,’” Trump told reporters.
“The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need [to see] that,” he said.
Trump added that while a final decision has not been made, raising the possibility was “appropriate.” “I might tell [Russia] that if the war is not settled… we may do it. I think it’s appropriate to bring up,” Trump concluded.
Zelensky pleads for “long-distance capabilities”
Trump’s comments follow weeks of direct pleas from President Zelensky for the advanced long-range firepower, which can precisely strike targets over 1,500 miles away.
Kyiv argues that the Tomahawk – a “step up” in capability, as Trump himself described it – would enable strikes deep into Russian territory, forcing Moscow to pull back air defense systems and making Ukrainian strikes more effective.
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In an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” Zelensky reiterated his need for both “real air defense” and “long weapons, long-distance capabilities.” He stated that any Tomahawk employment would be strictly limited to military targets.
“It’s only military goals,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Even with all this pain of losses… we never attack their civilians. This is the big difference between Ukraine and Russia.”
Kremlin voices “extreme concern”
The prospect of Tomahawk delivery has generated “extreme concern” in Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media, “The topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern. Now is really a very dramatic moment in terms of the fact that tensions are escalating from all sides.”
Russian lawmakers have also reportedly warned of potential retaliation against the US in response to such a move.
The potential delivery of the BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile represents one of the most significant and risk-laden choices in American support for Ukraine, as it escalates the tension over striking assets inside Russia.
Trump undecided amid escalation fears
While floating the threat as a potential pressure tactic against the Kremlin, Trump expressed caution, noting his own reservations about escalating the war.
“I think I want to find out what they’re doing with them,” Trump told reporters last week, referencing the Tomahawk missiles. “Where are they sending them? I guess I’d have to ask that question. I’m not looking to escalate that war.”
Despite the White House’s hesitation, the discussion of Tomahawks comes as Ukraine faces intensified Russian aerial attacks targeting its energy infrastructure, a campaign Kyiv calls “aerial terror” aimed at crippling the country before winter.
The two leaders’ phone calls over the weekend also focused on securing more air defenses and “details related to the energy sector.”
Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he gives Ukraine “credit for doing so well” on the battlefield. “I mean… they’re very good fighters.”
A senior Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to visit Washington in the coming days, with the topic of long-range precision strike weapons expected to top the agenda.