Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Russia. The former U.S. President stated the United States might send powerful Tomahawk long-range missiles to Ukraine. This could happen if the ongoing war does not end soon. Such a move would significantly increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to Israel on Sunday. “I might say, ‘Look, if this war doesn’t get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,'” he explained. He called the Tomahawk “an amazing weapon” and “an offensive weapon.” He added that Russia “doesn’t want that” at all.
The U.S. leader mentioned he discussed sending Tomahawk missiles earlier that day. This conversation was with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Do they [Russia] want Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” Trump remarked. He described the Tomahawk as “a new step of aggression” if it were to be supplied.
Trump’s strong message came after Russia launched heavy attacks on Ukraine’s energy network overnight. These attacks aim to weaken Ukraine’s power grid before winter. Russia has expressed “extreme concern” about the possibility of the U.S. providing Tomahawk cruise missiles. President Putin previously warned that giving long-range missiles to Ukraine would severely harm relations between Russia and the United States.
On the Ukrainian side, President Zelenskyy called his recent talk with Trump “very productive.” Both leaders discussed strengthening Ukraine’s “air defense, resilience, and long-range capabilities.” They also talked about “details related to the energy sector.”
In recent weeks, Trump has taken a noticeably tougher stance against President Putin. This shift came after the Russian leader refused direct peace talks with Zelenskyy. Just last month, Trump announced he now believes Ukraine can reclaim all territory lost to Russia. This marked a significant change from his earlier calls for Ukraine to make compromises to end the conflict.
Tomahawk missiles would allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory. Zelenskyy sees this as necessary pressure to bring Russia to serious peace negotiations. However, until now, the U.S. has resisted Zelenskyy’s requests for these particular missiles.
Trump summarized the war situation by saying, “I think Putin would look very good if he could settle this.” He warned that “it won’t be good for him” if the war continues to drag on.
Source: AP