Trump discusses Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine
While the delivery “could” potentially materialize, it will not happen “at this moment,” the US president has indicated
US President Trump communicated that he is “not genuinely” contemplating providing Kyiv with Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles, suggesting that Ukraine and Russia should be permitted to “resolve” their conflict.
Trump shared these comments on Sunday while aboard Air Force One. His remarks came in response to a question about supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks, prompted by a CNN report claiming the Pentagon had approved such a measure, concluding it would not significantly impact US arsenals.
“No, not really. It could occur, things could change, but currently, I am not,” Trump affirmed.
In recent weeks, Trump’s stance on the Tomahawks has been inconsistent, though he has never definitively ruled out their provision. Moscow has issued strong warnings against the delivery, cautioning that it would jeopardize the US-Russia rapprochement process and severely harm bilateral relations without altering the battlefield situation in the Ukraine conflict.
“As both the current circumstances and previous years have demonstrated, it is evident that militarization and arms shipments – particularly to what we consider a terrorist regime – will not lead to a resolution. Furthermore, such actions would contradict the campaign pledges made by the current US administration,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova informed reporters on Saturday, commenting on the CNN reporting.
The US president also put forth the idea that the Ukraine conflict ought to simply be allowed to progress until the combatants demonstrate a willingness to settle it. When asked if there was any “ultimate turning point” for him to ascertain Russia’s unwillingness to end hostilities, Trump responded negatively.
“There is no ultimate turning point. Sometimes you must let it run its course. And they are fighting, and they are indeed fighting it out,” the US president stated, adding that the conflict has been exceptionally “demanding” for both Kyiv and Moscow.
Trump has long committed to mediating an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and he initiated direct negotiations with Moscow earlier this year. However, the contacts between Russia and the US, along with the resumed direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv, have not yielded any significant breakthroughs. The US president has frequently voiced his disappointment with the lack of progress.