WASHINGTON DC – US President Donald Trump poured cold water on the prospect of supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles on Sunday, saying he was “not really” considering the move and offering a stark message to Kyiv and Moscow: settle the war yourselves.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, Trump dismissed the key military aid request, despite recent reports indicating that the Pentagon had deemed the US Tomahawk stockpile sufficient for a transfer.
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“No, not really,” Trump told reporters when pressed on the Tomahawk deal. His latest comment signaled a persistent reluctance to escalate the war, according to US officials, a posture he maintained after discussing the issue with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Oct. 22.
The Tomahawks, with their formidable 1,550 miles (2,500 km) range, are a prime request for President Volodymyr Zelensky, who seeks the capability for deep strikes into Russian territory, potentially reaching targets as critical as Moscow.
The Kremlin, predictably, has issued sharp warnings against such a provision.
No ‘final straw’
Beyond the weapons decision, Trump offered a remarkably hands-off assessment of the nearly four-year-old full-scale war, suggesting it had reached a natural point for resolution between the invader and the defender.
When asked what would constitute a “final straw” proving Russian leader Vladimir Putin was not ready to end the war, Trump was characteristically blunt.
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“There’s no final straw. Sometimes you have to let them fight it out. It’s been a tough war for Putin… and it’s been a tough war for Ukraine,” he said.
He later reiterated the point, saying the need for the two nations to take ownership of the war’s resolution. “At this point, we must let Ukraine and Russia settle this war themselves,” he declared, adding, “Sometimes you have to let it just get fought out.”
Trump said the heavy toll on both sides, referencing massive casualties. “It’s been a tough war for Putin. He’s lost a lot of soldiers, maybe a million. That’s a lot of soldiers. It’s been tough for Ukraine. It’s been tough on both,” he said.
Zigzag on long-range aid
Trump’s latest “no” on Tomahawks follows a period of public ambiguity. Though he had previously expressed hesitation about giving away “things that we need to protect our country,” the Pentagon’s favorable assessment appeared to remove that hurdle.
Trump’s alleged concerns have also included the complexity of the weapons, arguing on Oct. 22 that the long-range missiles were “too complex for Kyiv to deploy [sic] without substantial US training.”
Despite the missile shortfall, Kyiv continues to demonstrate formidable offensive capacity, utilizing its own drone and missile programs to successfully strike key Russian military and strategic assets.
A Ukrainian drone attack hit Russia’s Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea on Sunday, causing a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian authorities – a strike that temporarily closed nearby airports.
The White House, meanwhile, remains cool to the idea of a potential deal in which the US would sell Tomahawks to NATO nations for subsequent transfer to Kyiv, indicating it is focused on de-escalation rather than arming an offensive.
Trump did, however, previously leave a slight opening for the future: “I could change my mind.”
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