The Pentagon has given the green light for the potential delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, after assessing that such a move would not threaten the American stockpile of weapons. The final political decision is now in the hands of US President Donald Trump, CNN reported, citing three US and European officials familiar with the case.
According to CNN, the Joint Chiefs of Staff informed the White House of its assessment several weeks ago, shortly before the meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the same sources, Zelensky strongly advocated the delivery of the Tomahawk, whose range is about 1,600 kilometers, so that Ukraine could more accurately hit oil and energy targets deep in Russia.
Change of tone after talks with Putin
Although Trump stated before the meeting that the US has “a lot of Tomahawks” that he could give to Ukraine, his attitude soon became much more cautious. During a working lunch at the White House earlier this month, Trump told Zelensky that he “would prefer not to deliver those missiles”, stressing that they “didn’t want to give things that are necessary for the defense of the USA”.
According to CNN, the change in tone came a day after Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned that US Tomahawks could hit major Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. Putin reportedly said that such a delivery “would not change the situation on the battlefield” but would seriously damage US-Russian relations.
Plans for quick delivery if Trump approves
Unatoč with reservations, sources from the White House and the Pentagon claim that the project has not been completely rejected. The American administration, they say, has ready plans for the rapid delivery of missiles to Ukraine if the president makes a decision in their favor.
In recent weeks, according to CNN sources, Trump has been increasingly dissatisfied with Putin’s rejection of more serious peace negotiations, which is why he approved new sanctions on Russian oil companies last week and postponed the planned meeting with Putin in Budapest.
Operational issues and allied reactions
At the Pentagon, they are not yet expressing concern about the American stockpiles of missiles, but the way in which Ukraine would train the crews and deploy the Tomahawks is still being considered. “There are several operational issues that need to be resolved in order for Ukraine to effectively use this weapon,” said one of the US officials.
The US’s European allies welcomed the Pentagon’s assessment, and believe that Washington now has less justification for refusing the delivery. “It is an important signal of support for Ukraine and European security,” said a senior European diplomat.
The White House and the Pentagon have not officially commented on the allegations about the possible delivery.