WASHINGTON DC – President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal to trade “thousands of drones” for US Tomahawk missiles has been met with positive initial assessments by foreign policy experts, who view it as a clever leveraging of Ukraine’s wartime technological edge.
The proposal, which Kyiv believes would enable it to strike deeper inside Russia to balance the playing field, has also secured a preliminary nod from US President Donald Trump, who said he would be “interested” in the deal.
Shelby Magid, Deputy Director at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, praised the initiative, telling Kyiv Post, “President Zelensky’s proposal is smart, strategic, and leverages Ukraine’s strengths.”
Magid highlighted Ukraine’s rapid advancements in unmanned systems, which have reshaped modern warfare.
“The country has made remarkable advances in drone innovation and production, and Kyiv understands that its technology holds strong appeal for Washington,” she said.
“Partnering with Ukraine to acquire and co-produce drones would be a good move for the United States and a valuable boost to our national security,” Magid added.
The expert commentary aligns with Trump’s own acknowledgement of Ukraine’s drone capabilities.
When asked about the “drone for Tomahawk” deal, Trump replied, “Yeah, we would be,” adding, “We have a lot of drones right now. We build our own drones, but we also buy drones from others, and they [Ukraine] make a very good drone. Drone warfare has really come to the fore over the last couple of years because of this war.”
The discussions over long-range Tomahawk missiles, which have a range far exceeding most weapons currently supplied to Kyiv, featured prominently during Trump’s meeting with Zelensky at the White House on Friday.
While Trump showed initial interest in the drone exchange, he appeared hesitant about a swift transfer of the missiles, noting the potential for escalation and expressing a preference for a negotiated end to the conflict.
“One of the reasons we want to get this war over is… that it’s not easy for us to give you… massive numbers of very powerful weapons,” Trump said.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to get the war over with without thinking about Tomahawks,” he added.
Zelensky stressed the need for a ceasefire, but insisted on “really strong security guarantees” and weapons, underscoring the importance of long-range strike capabilities.
Trump called the question of providing Tomahawks a “fair question,” but the final decision remains “to be determined,” pending further discussions between the leaders. The US President is expected to meet with Vladimir Putin in Hungary soon.