U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is close to deciding on whether to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles but wants clarity on how Kyiv intends to use them before final approval.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump stated that while he had “sort of made a decision,” he was not looking to escalate the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“I think I want to find out what they’re doing with them,” he said. “Where are they sending them? I guess I’d have to ask that question. I would ask some questions. I’m not looking to escalate that war.”
The remarks come amid growing pressure from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has requested that the U.S. sell Tomahawk missiles to European allies willing to transfer them to Ukraine.
Kyiv believes the missiles would significantly enhance its ability to strike strategic targets deep within Russian territory.
The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM), officially designated BGM-109, is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile developed for precision strikes against high-value or heavily defended land targets.
Capable of flying at low altitudes to evade radar detection, modern variants like the Block IV Tactical Tomahawk feature two-way satellite communication, in-flight retargeting, and battle damage assessment capabilities.
The missile typically carries a 1,000-pound high-explosive warhead and can reach distances of up to 2,500 kilometers.
Russia has responded sharply to the potential transfer. In a video statement released on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin warned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would mark a “completely new stage of escalation” and could lead to the destruction of Moscow’s relationship with Washington.
The Institute for the Study of War estimates that over 1,900 Russian military facilities fall within the range of the Tomahawk missile, underscoring the strategic implications of such a transfer.
Ukraine already fields a range of long-range strike systems, including UK- and France-supplied SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles and U.S.-supplied ATACMS. However, the Tomahawk would offer unprecedented reach and payload capacity, potentially altering the dynamics of the conflict.
While Trump has not ruled out the supply, his cautious stance reflects concerns about further escalation and the need for transparency regarding Ukraine’s targeting intentions.
