President Trump said he is “not really” considering providing long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. reports Indicated that the Pentagon has approved sending weapons to the White House.
When Trump was asked if he was considering sending the missiles, he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, “No, not really.”
“Maybe,” he said. “I could change, but right now, I’m not.”
The Pentagon has approved the delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles, a move that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long pressed the administration for, CNN reported Friday.
According to CNN reporting, the Defense Department’s approval was based on an assessment that making Tomahawks available would not have a negative impact on US stockpiles.
Two European officials told the network they were surprised early last month when a separate assessment from the Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated there was no reason not to send missiles to Ukraine, but Trump pushed against Providing weapons anyway.
“It’s not easy for us to give it away… You’re talking about a large number of very powerful weapons,” Trump said ahead of a meeting with Zelensky at the White House on October 17.
The following week, Zelensky emphasized his discussion with Trump about the missiles as “a major investment in diplomacy – we forced Russia to reveal that Tomahawks are actually the card they take seriously.”
Zelensky has argued that not being provided with Tomahawk missiles has reduced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interest in diplomacy with Ukraine.
“The front line could spark diplomacy. Instead, Russia continues to do everything to get out of diplomacy, and as soon as for us – for Ukraine – the issue of long-range capabilities became less urgent, Russia’s interest in diplomacy almost automatically decreased,” Zelensky.said during a dailyLast month’s video address. “It signals that this very issue – the issue of our deep strike capabilities – may be an indispensable key to peace.”
Russia has warned the US against sending missiles to Kiev, arguing that it would represent a major escalation. The Kremlin is using self-made missiles in addition to North Korean missiles and Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine.
