Vice President of the United States J.D. Vance confirmed that discussions are ongoing in Washington regarding the potential supply of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. According to Vance, the final decision on this matter will be made by the President of the United States.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“You asked about Tomahawk. This is a matter for which the final decision will be made by the President. What the President will do will be in the best interests of the United States. Let the President speak on this, but I know we are discussing it right now,” he said in a comment to Fox News.
Discussion of Tomahawk Transfer and US Position
Vance also emphasized a shift in the US approach to military support for Ukraine. He stated that the United States is no longer providing funding or weapons directly, but instead encourages European countries to purchase the necessary weapons independently. This, according to the Vice President, reflects a growing interest among Europeans in their own continent’s security and in supporting the peace process initiated by the US President over the past eight months.
At the same time, amid these discussions, media reports emerged that President Donald Trump refused to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in New York on September 23. The Ukrainian President emphasized that acquiring such missiles could increase pressure on Russia and compel President Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table even without the actual use of this weapon.
Tomahawk Capabilities and Prospects for Ukraine
Sources familiar with the negotiations confirm that the discussions specifically involved long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. However, for their effective use, Ukraine requires the appropriate infrastructure—launchers, control, and guidance systems, which are currently lacking. In particular, Tomahawks are launched from vertical launch systems on ships or submarines.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the issue of providing long-range weapons is actively being discussed with the US, but did not specify which types of weapons are being considered.
The Tomahawk cruise missile, produced by RTX, is capable of striking targets at distances of up to 1,000 miles (over 1,600 kilometers)—significantly exceeding the range of American ATACMS multiple launch rocket systems (up to 190 miles), which are currently in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Tomahawk also has greater speed and combat power compared to Ukrainian drones typically used for strikes on Russian territory, which often face countermeasures from the enemy’s modern air defense systems.
Ukraine has been requesting long-range weapons from its partners for over a year. Kyiv is also actively investing in the development of its own technologies, including the “Palyanytsya” and “Flamingo” systems, but their combat characteristics currently fall short of the capabilities of the Tomahawk.