Moscow jittery as Trump considers arming Ukraine with powerful ‘Tomahawk’ missile

Femi Fabunmi 

US President Donald Trump has said he is thinking about sending Tomahawk long-range missiles to Ukraine  a move that could raise tensions with Russia.
When asked by reporters if he would approve the weapons transfer, Trump said, “We’ll see, I may.”

His comments came after his second phone call in a few days with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been urging the US to provide stronger weapons to defend against Russia’s attacks.

Ukraine wants missiles that can reach targets deep inside Russia.
Tomahawk missiles can travel up to 2,500 kilometers (about 1,500 miles), meaning they could reach Moscow from Ukrainian territory.

Sending them would mark a major change in US support for Ukraine and could allow strikes far beyond the front lines.

Speaking while traveling to Israel, Trump said he might talk directly to Russia about his decision:

“I might tell them that if the war isn’t settled, we may  or may not  send them. Do they want Tomahawks coming their way? I don’t think so.”

Russia has warned that giving Ukraine long-range missiles would be seen as a serious provocation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently said such weapons would not change the situation on the battlefield:

“Whether it’s Tomahawks or other missiles, they won’t change the dynamic,” he said.

In his recent calls, Zelensky pushed for more advanced systems to counter Russia’s air and missile strikes, which have destroyed parts of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and hit civilian areas, especially in Kyiv.

The US has avoided sending long-range strike weapons so far to prevent direct conflict with Russia. But last month, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, suggested a tougher stance, saying,

“There are no sanctuaries in this war.” Many saw that as a signal that the US might now support deeper strikes into Russian territory.