Pentagon gives green light for Tomahawks – decision now rests with Trump

However, the final decision rests with President Donald Trump.

According to CNN sources, the US Department of Defense submitted its opinion to the White House in early October, shortly before Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump hesitated and emphasized that he “did not want to give up things that the US needs.” Nevertheless, he had previously signaled his willingness to provide missiles.

The Pentagon itself reportedly has no concerns about a shortage of missiles, but there is still debate about how Ukraine could use the Tomahawks. The missiles are normally fired from ships or submarines, while the Ukrainian navy has been significantly weakened by Russian attacks. One possible solution would be to use ground-launchers, such as those developed by the US Marine Corps and Army.

The surprising reversal came a day after the phone call between the American and Russian presidents, in which Trump warned that the missiles could hit Moscow or St. Petersburg, escalating tensions. European allies were surprised by his reversal.

President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a post on Network X this week that Ukraine wants to expand its long-range strike capabilities by the end of the year in order to end the war “on fair terms.” “Global sanctions and our precision strikes are practically coordinated to end this war on terms that are fair to Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “All targets for deep strikes must be fully prepared by the end of the year, including the expansion of our range,” he added.

Former Russian President and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev also publicly stated that possible deliveries of American Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could have serious consequences for all parties involved—especially Trump.

(max)