Defense officials have cleared long-range Tomahawks for transfer to Kyiv, awaiting final authorization from President Donald Trump.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Pentagon has approved the potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, contingent on President Donald Trump’s sign-off, a move defense officials say would not compromise U.S. stockpiles and would mark a dramatic expansion of Ukraine’s strike capabilities. The decision, first reported Friday, reflects an internal assessment that supplying the system would not hinder American operational readiness, according to reporting that the department has approved the move.
Pressure for the delivery has mounted from European allies and Ukrainian leadership, who argue the weapons could shift battlefield dynamics by enabling deep-range precision strikes. Trump, however, has pushed back publicly in recent weeks, warning the United States must weigh the cost and strategic implications carefully. “It’s not easy for us to give… you’re talking about massive numbers of very powerful weapons,” he said before meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Oct. 17.
Zelensky has continued urging approval, framing long-range strike capabilities as a catalyst for diplomacy rather than escalation. “The front line can spark diplomacy. Instead, Russia continues to do everything to weasel out of diplomacy, and as soon as the issue of long-range capabilities for us — for Ukraine — became less immediate, Russia’s interest in diplomacy faded almost automatically,” Zelensky said in a recent address, asserting the weapons “may hold the indispensable key to peace,” remarks shared in his said during a daily briefing.
U.S. officials have privately warned that authorizing Tomahawks would mark a significant escalation in Western military support, a concern echoed in Moscow. Russian officials have issued repeated warnings that such a transfer would cross a strategic line and could trigger retaliation. The Kremlin also highlighted its recent weapons developments, including a nuclear-powered cruise missile test announced last week, with Russian state media calling the 9M730 Burevestnik “invincible” and President Vladimir Putin declaring it “a unique ware which nobody else in the world has” as he addressed senior commanders.
The test, announced as European and U.S. efforts to broker a resolution continue to stagnate, serves as a reminder of Russia’s long-range strike capabilities and nuclear posture. The system, first introduced in 2018, was touted as a direct response to U.S. missile-defense expansion following withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Putin described the program’s success as a milestone once seen as “impossible,” noting its “crucial testing” phase had been completed. Reuters reported the development as a signal meant to counter perceptions of Russian vulnerability and reinforce Moscow’s strategic reach, as the news agency reported that Russia aims to remind Washington its nuclear arsenal remains formidable amid the Ukraine conflict.
For Trump, who has argued Russia’s inability to rapidly overpower Ukraine proves it is a “paper tiger,” the test arrives as a pointed message that Moscow remains a global competitor on nuclear capability and long-range strike technology. U.S. intelligence assistance to Ukraine targeting Russian energy infrastructure, noted in the Reuters analysis, underscores a conflict environment in which both sides continue probing red lines.
With the Tomahawk transfer now awaiting Trump’s final word, the decision stands at the intersection of diplomacy, deterrence, and battlefield strategy — a moment that could either reinforce Washington’s support for Kyiv or signal a tempered approach to escalation as the war grinds on.