Zelensky asks Trump for Tomahawk missiles with a range to Moscow

During a meeting with Donald Trump on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles. These would enable Ukraine to reach targets as far away as Moscow.

According to the Axios website, Zelensky said the weapons could force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table—possibly even without actually being used. Although he did not name the weapon system during the conversation, two sources confirmed that it was Tomahawks.

Trump has so far refused to provide Tomahawks to Ukraine, although he has already supplied other systems. Tomahawks have a range of up to 1,600 kilometers and significantly outperform Ukraine's current weapon systems.

Zelensky noted that Ukraine is already capable of hitting some targets in Russia with drones, but that these are slow and easy to intercept.

At the same time, he hinted that the possible use of the weapons could depend on Russia's behavior. According to Zelensky, Trump replied, “We will work on it.” However, the US is aware of the risk of escalation and the limited stockpiles of these missiles, according to Axios.

(mja)