Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said US President Donald Trump, during their meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly two weeks ago, appeared open to Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk cruise missiles – a shift from Washington’s earlier refusals.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Oct. 8, Zelensky said Trump’s latest comments signaled a potential shift.
“President Trump can give Ukraine some things we discussed – certain long-range capabilities that are very important for us,” Zelensky told reporters, according to Ukrinform.
“We first raised this issue in the fall of last year in New York, when President Trump was still running his campaign. During our latest meeting, I didn’t hear a ‘no.’ I heard that they will work on it at the technical level and considering this possibility.”
Zelensky added that he had previously brought up the issue of Tomahawk missile transfers to the White House during Joe Biden’s administration, but was turned down.
“This is now an important signal – strengthening Ukraine by all possible means,” he said.
“And Tomahawk is one such means. These systems can strengthen Ukraine and make the Russians sober up a bit – sit down at the negotiating table.”
Earlier this week, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that nearly 2,000 Russian military sites would fall within range of Ukraine’s forces if Washington approves delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, or more targets than there are missiles available.
The think tank said the extended-range Tomahawk variant could be employed to about 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles), which would put at least 1,945 Russian military targets in range. A shorter-range variant that could fly about 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) would reach roughly 1,655 targets.
Sites listed by ISW include a large Shahed drone factory in the Alabuga industrial zone in Tatarstan and scores of military airfields.
Analysts also point to practical limits. Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute said the United States produces only about 50 to 70 Tomahawks a year and has already used hundreds in past operations, which could limit how quickly large numbers could be supplied.
Additionally, some targets require multiple weapons of any size payload. Any military airfield, for example, may have a couple of dozen desired mean points of impact (DMPIs) spread around a 3-kilometer-long (1.9-kilometer-long) runway, many of which could be hardened or protected underground.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that sending Tomahawks to Kyiv would mean a “whole new level of escalation” between the US and Russia.