US President Donald Trump says he may authorise the delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, a move that could heighten already tense relations between Washington and Moscow.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he was “considering it,” when asked about sending Tomahawks to Kyiv, adding, “We’ll see… I may.” He described such a decision as “a new step of aggression” in the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.
The comment followed a weekend phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities against Russian forces.
Moscow has previously cautioned the US against transferring long-range missiles to Kyiv, warning it would provoke a major escalation in the conflict and further strain diplomatic ties.
Tomahawk missiles can travel up to 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles), making it possible for Ukraine to reach Moscow and other targets deep inside Russian territory.
Trump’s position on Russia has become more hardline in recent months as his administration grows impatient with President Vladimir Putin’s resistance to reaching a ceasefire deal.
“I might tell them [Russia] that if the war isn’t settled, we may very well send Tomahawks to Kyiv. Do they want them heading their way? I don’t think so,” Trump said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Trump’s comments as “deeply concerning,” warning that global tensions were “intensifying from every side.”
He also pointed out that Russia would not be able to determine whether any Tomahawks launched toward its territory were nuclear-armed. “What should Russia think? How should we respond?” he asked.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev echoed Peskov’s remarks in a post on Monday, warning that the delivery of the missiles “could end badly for everyone — and especially for Trump himself.”
Medvedev, who has adopted a more aggressive tone in recent years, has clashed with Trump in the past. Their previous exchanges on social media prompted the US president to order two nuclear submarines closer to Russian waters in August.
Ukraine has long requested long-range weapons since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. During recent discussions, Trump and Zelensky also reviewed ways to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence and strike capacity.
Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities in recent weeks, causing widespread blackouts as winter approaches.
Last month, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, hinted that the president had already approved strikes inside Russian territory, telling Fox News that “there are no sanctuaries” in the ongoing conflict.
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