Trump Says He Is Not Considering Supplying Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine Despite Pentagon Approval

“No, I don’t think so,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday when asked about his willingness to supply the missiles. “Maybe I’ll change my mind, but not for now.”

As CNN reported, the Pentagon has approved the delivery of long-range missiles that President Volodymyr Zelensky has long requested. According to the network, the Defense Department’s decision was based on an assessment that providing Tomahawks would not deplete U.S. stockpiles.

Two European officials told CNN they were surprised when, early last month, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded there were almost no obstacles to transferring the missiles—yet Trump still opposed the move.

“It’s not easy for us—you’re talking about extremely powerful weapons in significant numbers,” Trump said ahead of his meeting with Zelensky at the White House on October 17.

A week later, Zelensky called his conversation with Trump “an important diplomatic step” and said that “we made Russia acknowledge that Tomahawk is what it truly takes seriously.” He added that Washington’s refusal to provide the missiles had weakened Vladimir Putin’s interest in diplomacy.

“The front line can become a source of diplomacy, but Russia is doing everything to avoid it. And as soon as the issue of Ukraine’s long-range capabilities ceased to be relevant, Russia’s interest in negotiations almost disappeared,” Zelensky said in his daily video address. “This shows that this very topic—our ability to strike at long range—may be the key to peace.”

Moscow, in turn, warned the United States that supplying missiles to Kyiv would amount to a “serious escalation.” The Russian military continues to use its own missiles, along with weaponry supplied by North Korea and Iranian drones.