ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russia that he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesn’t settle its war there soon — suggesting that he could be ready to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin’s government using a key weapons system.
“I might say, ’Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Israel. “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that.”
Trump expressed that it is appropriate to warn Russia about the potential deployment of Tomahawks, emphasizing the weapon’s aggressive nature. “Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” he said.
His comments followed a phone call earlier the same day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Trump indicated the possibility of sending Tomahawk missiles. Zelenskyy described the call as “very productive,” focusing on enhancing Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
The context of Trump’s comments includes recent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, an attempt to disable civilian infrastructure as winter approaches. Russia has voiced significant concern over the U.S. contemplating delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Trump has recently adopted a more assertive stance towards Russia, particularly after Putin declined to engage directly with Zelenskyy on peace negotiations. He posited, “I really think Putin would look great if he got this settled” and warned that unresolved tensions would not bode well for him.
While Trump acknowledges Ukraine's potential to reclaim territory lost to Russia, he has not yet agreed to send the Tomahawks, which would enable Ukraine to conduct strikes deeper into Russian territory.
Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report from Washington.
