Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a request made to President Trump during their meeting, requested that Ukraine be supplied with Tomahawk missiles, which would grant Ukraine the capability to strike as deep into Russia as Moscow.
Zelensky informed “The Axios Show” on Wednesday that he had requested Trump for another weapons system that might compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down for peace negotiations — maybe without Ukraine even firing it.
Zelensky never specified that weapons system in his interview with Axios’ Barak Ravid, but he indicated that if Russia were aware that Ukraine possessed it, the pressure to negotiate would significantly improve.
A Ukrainian official and another person with knowledge of the Trump-Zelensky encounter confirmed that it was the Tomahawk — a long-range, precision-guided missile.
Behind the scenes: Ukraine has raised Tomahawks with the U.S. on multiple occasions in the last year, including in a shopping list of equipment Kyiv asked for several months ago.
It was the sole weaponry system on the list with which Trump did not come to terms to sell to NATO nations on Ukraine’s behalf, as per an individual familiar with that process.
The Telegraph earlier on 26th Sept. reported that Zelensky had asked for Tomahawks during the meeting.
What he’s stating: When asked what one thing Trump could do to assist Ukraine in winning the conflict, Zelensky explained to Axios: “I think President Trump knows. I told him yesterday what we need, one thing.”
“By the way, we need it, but it doesn’t mean that we will use it. Because if we have it, I think it’s an additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak,” he added.
Zelensky hinted at conditions being added to Ukraine’s use of the system based on the behavior of Russia.
Zelensky told Axios in an interview that Trump had instructed him that Ukraine should reply tit-for-tat: “If they hit our energy, President Trump supports that we can respond on energy.” Same with arms depots and production facilities.
Zelensky pointed out that Ukraine is already able to strike deep within Russia using drones, but the bulk of military targets possess advanced air defenses that are difficult to penetrate using drones.
The Tomahawk, made by RTX, has a significantly longer range than the missiles NATO has provided to date, traveling as far as 1,000 miles versus approximately 190 miles for US-made ATACMS.
It’s also far quicker than Ukraine’s drones, and delivers a more substantial punch.
Ukraine has attempted to go around its partners’ reluctance to give it long-range weapons by creating its own systems, like the Palianytsia and Flamingo, although they don’t have the three-decade-long record of the Tomahawk.
Zelensky stated that Trump replied that he said “we will work on it” when asked for the new weapons system.
The U.S. side would be worried about both the risk of escalation if Washington gives a missile that puts Moscow in range, as well as its own relatively limited inventory of Tomahawks, which takes many months to resupply.
Zelensky said in an interview with Axios that if Russian leaders won’t stop the war, they should find the closest bomb shelter. “They will need it, in any case.”
