Key points
- Putin calls missile supply major escalation risk
- Zelensky vows missiles used only militarily
- Tomahawks could strike deep inside Russia
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned Russia that he might provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow fails to end its war soon — signalling a potential escalation in Washington’s stance towards the conflict.
“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 en route to Israel. “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that,” reports AP News.
Trump warns Russia he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawks if Moscow doesn’t settle war soon https://t.co/G90yx6drb4
— CTV News (@CTVNews) October 12, 2025
Trump added, “I might tell them that if the war is not settled, that we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think it’s appropriate to bring up.”
His remarks came after a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump said he raised the possibility of supplying 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 also described Tomahawks as “a new step of aggression.”
Extreme concern
The comments followed Russia’s overnight attacks on Ukraine’s power grid — part of its ongoing efforts to cripple the country’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter. The Kremlin has voiced “extreme concern” over potential US missile supplies to Ukraine.
Earlier this month, President Vladimir Putin warned that any delivery of Tomahawks to Kyiv would mark a “qualitatively new stage of escalation,” arguing that such weapons could not be operated without direct US military involvement.
Zelensky described his latest discussion with Trump as “very productive,” noting they talked about strengthening Ukraine’s “air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities.” He stressed that any Tomahawk missiles supplied by Washington would be used strictly for “military purposes” and not against Russian civilians. “We never attacked their civilians. This is the big difference between Ukraine and Russia,” he said on Fox News, adding, “if we speak about long-range (missiles), we speak only about military goals.”
Fighting Western interference
Trump has so far resisted Zelensky’s appeals, saying he first wants clarity on how the weapons would be deployed to avoid escalating the war. Still, Zelensky remains hopeful, saying, “We count on such decisions, but we’ll see.”
Tomahawks, with a range of 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles), would allow Ukraine to strike deep within Russian territory, including Moscow.
The war — Europe’s deadliest since World War II — has intensified tensions between Russia and the West, with Moscow claiming it is fighting Western interference in its traditional sphere of influence. Meanwhile, Ukraine and its allies describe the invasion as an imperialist land grab and vow to defeat Russian forces.
