Trump Says He May Provide Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine

President Donald Trump of the United States said on October 12 (local time) that he could provide Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, pressuring for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to the New York Times and other sources on this day, President Trump stated aboard his private jet en route to Israel that he had discussed military aid, including Tomahawk missiles, with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

President Trump said that Ukraine wants support for Tomahawk missiles, and added that he might have to tell President Vladimir Putin of Russia, "If the war is not resolved, I will send Tomahawks to them (Ukraine)."

However, he also stated, "Russia does not need Tomahawks. I want the war to be resolved." This suggests that rather than immediately providing Tomahawk missiles, he intends to first seek dialogue with Russia.

The Tomahawk missile has a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, allowing it to strike deep into Russian territory, including the capital Moscow. However, the United States has so far refrained from providing Tomahawks to Ukraine, concerned about escalating the war.

President Zelensky announced in a statement on Telegram that he had spoken with President Trump for two consecutive days, both the previous day and on this day, and discussed strengthening Ukraine's air defense network. He said, "We see and hear that the United States fears providing us with Tomahawk missiles," adding, "This is a sign that such pressure could bring about peace."

Previously, on October 2, President Putin warned that if the United States provided Tomahawks to Ukraine, it would lead to "a completely new and qualitatively different level of deterioration in Russia-U.S. relations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.