Trump threatens Tomahawks for Ukraine, says he’ll raise it with Putin while en route to Tel Aviv
Aboard Air Force One en route to Tel Aviv, President Trump said he may send U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine if the war isn’t settled and that he plans to raise the issue directly with Vladimir Putin, calling the weapons “incredible” and a “new step of aggression.” His comments follow Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for Tomahawks and “very productive” talks with Trump amid heavy Russian strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure and Kremlin warnings that such deliveries would represent a dangerous escalation.
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📌 Key Facts
- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky requested U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles during talks with President Trump; multiple sources said the system named was the Tomahawk (manufactured by RTX) and was sought to give Ukraine long‑range strike capability to pressure Russia to negotiate.
- Tomahawks are described as long‑range cruise missiles (reported range roughly 1,000–1,500 miles), far exceeding systems like ATACMS (around 190 miles), which is why Ukrainian leaders argue they could change bargaining dynamics with Russia.
- President Trump has signaled growing openness to providing Tomahawks: he said last week he had 'sort of made a decision,' and on Air Force One en route to Tel Aviv said he may send Tomahawks if the war isn’t settled, that he might raise the issue directly with Vladimir Putin, and described them as "an incredible," "very offensive" weapon and "a new step of aggression" while stressing he wants to know where they would be used and does not seek escalation.
- Trump and Zelensky have spoken multiple times recently (including a roughly 30‑minute call) and both characterized the conversations as "very productive," discussing air defenses, long‑range capabilities, resilience and energy‑sector issues; a senior Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to visit Washington to negotiate security cooperation and sanctions.
- U.S. officials have given mixed signals: Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. is 'looking at' the request and Special Envoy Keith Kellogg signaled support for long‑range strikes, while administration officials express concerns about post‑sale control of the weapons and are exploring frameworks (including European purchase/financial contributions) to manage provision.
- Moscow reacted strongly: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called possible Tomahawk deliveries 'of extreme concern' and questioned who would launch them, President Putin warned it would be a 'qualitatively new stage of escalation,' and Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko publicly doubted the U.S. would follow through.
- Context for the requests: Russia has carried out large, recent attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and launched mass drone/missile strikes (causing casualties, widespread outages and heightened urgency), which Ukrainian officials cite as a key reason for seeking long‑range American weapons.
📚 Contextual Background
- Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 (commonly dated 2022-02-24).
- Since February 2022, attacks on Ukraine have repeatedly targeted the country's energy infrastructure during winter months, employing missiles and attack drones and causing widespread power outages.
- Ukraine has conducted long-range strikes on Russia that have targeted Russian oil infrastructure and have contributed to persistent fuel shortages.
📰 Sources (11)
Trump warns Russia he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawks if war doesn't settle
New information:
- Trump, on Air Force One, explicitly framed Tomahawks as a 'new step of aggression' and said he might warn Russia he’ll send them if the war isn’t settled.
- Zelenskyy told Fox News the call with Trump was 'very productive' and that 'we work on it' regarding Tomahawks, adding he is 'waiting for president to yes.'
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the Tomahawk topic 'of extreme concern.'
- Context update: Russia conducted overnight strikes on Ukraine’s power grid; a senior Ukrainian delegation will visit the U.S. this week.
Trump mulls Tomahawk deliveries to Ukraine if Russia keeps war going
New information:
- Trump’s on‑record quotes calling Tomahawks “an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon,” and “a new step of aggression.”
- Trump said he spoke with Zelenskyy Sunday morning; Zelenskyy’s X post said their talks covered air defense, long‑range capabilities, and energy sector issues, and that they agreed to continue dialogue.
- Trump said Ukraine “needs Patriots very badly” and that “they’d like to have Tomahawks,” adding he might first “speak to Russia about that.”
- Trump suggested he may tell Putin: “if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks.”
- Trump contrasted his approach with the prior administration, claiming Biden “gave Ukraine $350 billion” (presented as Trump’s claim).
Trump May Send Tomahawks to Ukraine
New information:
- Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Tel Aviv, threatened to send Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine if the war isn’t settled.
- He said he plans to speak directly with Vladimir Putin about Tomahawks, framing them as leverage to push a deal.
- He signaled increased openness to lifting U.S. restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American‑made long‑range weapons to strike inside Russia.
Trump says he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Russia continues conflict
New information:
- Trump, aboard Air Force One on Oct. 12, said he may send Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles if Russia does not settle the war soon.
- Trump stated he mentioned the Tomahawk possibility in his call with Zelenskyy earlier the same day and may raise it directly with Russia.
- Direct Trump quotes: calling Tomahawks an 'incredible' and 'very offensive' weapon and 'a new step of aggression.'
- Zelenskyy characterized the call as 'very productive,' citing discussions on air defense, resilience, long-range capabilities, and energy-sector details.
Russia targets Ukraine’s power grid as Moscow expresses ‘extreme concern’ over long-range U.S. weapons
New information:
- Russian strikes hit Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight in Kyiv region and the regions of Donetsk, Odesa and Chernihiv; two DTEK employees were wounded at a substation (officials).
- Zelenskyy said Russia launched 'more than 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and around 1,360 glide bombs' over the past week and urged tighter secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil.
- Zelenskyy held another call with President Trump on Sunday following a Saturday conversation, discussing air defenses, long‑range capabilities and energy‑sector details; a senior Ukrainian delegation will visit the U.S. this week.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the prospect of U.S. Tomahawk deliveries an issue of 'extreme concern'; Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko publicly doubted the U.S. would send Tomahawks.
- Context reiterated: Trump said last week he has 'sort of made a decision' on Tomahawks; Zelenskyy said 'we work on it' when asked if approval was given.
Zelenskyy touts ‘productive’ talks with Trump on strengthening Ukrainian air defense, long-range capabilities
New information:
- Zelenskyy says he spoke with President Trump for the second time in two days and called the talks 'very productive.'
- Topics included strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, resilience, long‑range strike capabilities, and 'many details' about the energy sector.
- Zelenskyy said Trump is 'well informed' about developments; both agreed to continue dialogue and have their teams prepare next steps.
- Context reiterated: fresh Russian drone/missile attacks causing blackouts and injuries in Kyiv.
Trump, Zelenskyy speak on path to peace for Ukraine in call
New information:
- Zelenskyy publicly urged Trump to broker peace in Ukraine, saying if war can be stopped in one region it can be stopped in others.
- Zelenskyy said he appreciates Trump’s willingness to support Ukraine and that they discussed opportunities to bolster air defenses and are working on 'concrete agreements.'
- Ukraine reported power restored to more than 800,000 residents in Kyiv after a major Russian strike on the power grid; localized outages remain.
Trump and Zelensky discuss Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine, sources say
New information:
- Trump and Zelensky spoke Saturday for about 30 minutes, discussing possible provision of Tomahawk long-range missiles (per two sources).
- Zelensky issued a public statement calling the call 'very positive and productive' and referencing work on 'concrete agreements' to bolster air defenses.
- Zelensky congratulated Trump on the Gaza ceasefire push and linked that success to hopes for ending Russia’s war.
- A senior Ukrainian delegation led by Andriy Yermak and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is expected in Washington next week to discuss security cooperation and sanctions.
- Putin warned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would mark a 'qualitatively new stage of escalation.'
Trump says he's "sort of made a decision" on supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
New information:
- President Trump said in the Oval Office on Oct. 6, 2025 that he has 'sort of made a decision' about supplying Tomahawk missiles to NATO countries to be supplied to Ukraine.
- Trump said he wants to know where Ukraine would use the missiles and emphasized he is 'not looking to see an escalation,' signaling conditional approval contingent on Ukrainian plans for use.
- Axios reports Ukrainian officials and a source close to Kyiv said they did not know what Trump's decision was, and administration officials have recent concerns about post‑sale control of missiles.
JD Vance says U.S. "looking at" selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
New information:
- Vice President JD Vance publicly said the U.S. is 'looking at' Ukraine's request for Tomahawk missiles on Fox News Sunday.
- U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg signaled support for Ukraine conducting long‑range strikes.
- Administration framing that Europeans would purchase/pay for weaponry under a policy to show 'European skin in the game' was reiterated.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacted publicly, questioning who would launch the missiles (Americans or Ukrainians).
- Contextual operational detail: Russia launched a massive overnight barrage (reported 'more than 600' drones/missiles) that killed four people and wounded dozens in Kyiv — underscoring urgency of the request; Tomahawk range noted as ~1,500 miles.
Zelensky asked Trump for Tomahawk missiles to force Putin to make peace
New information:
- Zelensky requested Tomahawk missiles during a meeting with President Trump on Tuesday (reported Sep. 26, 2025).
- Two sources — a Ukrainian official and a person familiar with the meeting — confirmed the system named was the Tomahawk (manufactured by RTX).
- Article notes Tomahawk range (~1,000 miles) compared with ATACMS (~190 miles) and quotes Zelensky saying possession could pressure Russia to negotiate; Trump said 'we will work on it.'