Volodymyr Zelensky meets this Friday with his North American counterpart, Donald Trumpto talk about the potential reinforcement of the supply of military material to Ukraine, after Trump had not completely ruled out the idea that the package could contain the much-desired Tomahawk missiles.
Questioned by reporters on board the Air Force OneOn Sunday, on the subject, Trump responded: “I can tell you [à Rússia] that if the war is not resolved, we may very well [enviar Tomahawks para Kiev]we may not do it, but we can do it.” He added: “Do they want Tomahawk missiles flying at them? I don’t think so.” On Monday he reinforced this again, in statements on White House: “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon. And, honestly, Russia doesn’t need it.”
Risk of “very serious escalation”
Os radars sounded loud in Moscowwho already warned that this would be a “very serious climbing” and would provoke “colossal damage” in relations between the two countries.
The statements are from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovmade in an interview with the newspaper “Kommersant”, published this Wednesday under the title “Europe wants to turn the conflict in Ukraine into Trump’s war”in an attempt to attract the attention of the North American President, who is averse to any connection between his name and armed conflicts. Lavrov further stated that the supply of Tomahawks “would compromise normalization” of relations between Moscow and Washington and “would nullify the bilateral advances achieved since the Biden administration”.
Developed in the 1970sos Tomahawks are cruise missiles with a 450 kg warhead e range up to 2,500 km — eight times higher than that of Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) provided to Ukraine by the Biden administration. Analysts interviewed by Financial Times consider it unlikely that Kiev will receive the most offensive version, predicting instead missiles with a maximum range of 1,600 km.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister
Jorge S. Cabrera A./LatinContent/Getty Images
War in Ukraine
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Trump has shown himself less patient with Putinwhich it now appears to see as the main obstacle to a ceasefire. From the Alaska summit did not result in major advances, the Russian attacks on Ukrainian civil infrastructurehave intensified and the President of the USA has already stated that, once the Gaza problem is resolved, his focus will return to the war in Ukraine.
Not Sunday, or porta-voz do Kremlin, Dmitry Peskovsaid that Tomahawk’s theme is “extreme concern” to Russia, despite, less than a month ago, stating that even if they were sent, it would “would not change the course of the war”.
Number of Tomahawk missiles is unknown
It is unclear how many Tomahawk missiles the US would be willing to sell to NATO allieswho would then send them to Ukraine, especially because the United States have purchased only 202 missiles since 2022 e used at least 124 in attacks on Houthis and Iran since 2024. Still, a new large order is expected.
Station Pettyjohndirector of the defense program at Center for a New American Security, estimated to the “Financial Times” that the US could provide between 20 and 50 missiles to Ukraine. Already Mark Cancianformer Pentagon advisor, is more optimistic, believing that the number could reach “by the hundreds“According to him, the US will have more than 4,500 missiles in storage.
Os Ukrainians have had growing success with drone strikesbut the range of the Tomahawks would drastically expand the range of action — allowing to achieve refineries, industrial complexes, fuel depots, railway lines, airports, control centers and military factories. In short, a more direct and more frequent contact of Russians with the hardships of the conflict.
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