Trump mulls sending Tomahawks to Ukraine

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Sunday he may warn Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Ukraine could get Tomahawk cruise missiles if Moscow does not end its invasion.

Trump has been mulling potential supplies of the long-range missiles to Kyiv via European allies since his meeting with Putin in Alaska in August failed to produce a peace deal.

“I might talk to him. I might say, ‘look, if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,’” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked if he would raise the subject with Putin himself.

The US leader said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had asked for Tomahawks when they were discussing a fresh supply of weapons for Kyiv in a call on Saturday.

“Tomahawks are a new step of aggression,” added Trump, who was traveling to Israel and Egypt to push for a long-term Gaza peace deal.

“Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so.”

Putin has previously warned against supplying Kyiv with Tomahawks, saying it would be a major escalation and affect relations between Washington and Moscow.