Before the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump stated that the situation is developing quite positively. According to him, he plans to discuss with Zelensky the results of his recent phone conversation with Vladimir Putin.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Discussion of the War and the Issue of Missile Transfer
Trump noted that during the conversation with Putin, the latter expressed a desire to end the war and emphasized that the US is also interested in a peaceful resolution. The US President confirmed that the issue of supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles will be a topic of discussion with Zelensky, but a final decision has not yet been made.
“We need Tomahawks ourselves, but we also need to end this war… We think it’s better to end this war without Tomahawks; I think we are close to that,” the US President said in response to reporters’ questions.
For his part, Zelensky thanked Trump for the invitation and the support provided, highlighting Ukraine’s need for high-tech weaponry. The Ukrainian President emphasized that the US has powerful missile systems but underscored the advantages of Ukrainian drones, which are actively used by the Armed Forces.
Features of Tomahawk Missiles and Russia’s Position
Prior to the negotiations with Zelensky, Trump had a phone conversation with the President of Russia, during which the possible supply of Tomahawks to Ukraine was discussed. Donald Trump stated that he “did not like this idea.”
Russian Presidential Assistant Yuri Ushakov reported that during the dialogue, Putin reiterated his opinion: Tomahawk missiles would not change the situation on the battlefield but would cause significant damage to US-Russia relations, complicating the possibility of a peaceful resolution.
The Tomahawk missile, manufactured by RTX, can travel up to 1,600 kilometers, significantly exceeding the range of American ATACMS missile systems (about 300 kilometers), which Ukraine is already using. The Tomahawk is characterized by greater speed and power compared to Ukrainian drones, which, although capable of reaching deep targets in Russia, often face effective enemy air defense systems.
Over the past year, Ukraine has consistently reached out to partners for long-range weaponry. Additionally, Kyiv is actively developing its own missile projects, including the “Palyanytsia” and “Flamingo” systems, but their capabilities fall short of those of the Tomahawk.