Ukraine is pushing Washington to take its support to the next level, by supplying Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles capable of hitting targets deep inside Russia, even Moscow itself.
President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly raised the request directly with US President Donald Trump during a meeting on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly. According to reports, Zelensky argued that the advanced missile system could change the dynamics of the war, even bringing Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table by putting the Kremlin within reach.
Trump’s changing stance on Ukraine
The request comes as Donald Trump’s tone on Ukraine has shifted noticeably. Once cautious about further escalation, the US president is now said to be “really angry” with Putin for ignoring his diplomatic overtures.
Speaking on Fox News, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed the administration is actively debating the Tomahawk option.
“It’s something the President is going to make the final determination on,” Vance said. “What the President is going to do is what’s in the best interest of the United States of America. I know we’re having conversations this very minute about the issue.”
What makes the Tomahawk so powerful?
First developed in the 1980s, the BGM-109 Tomahawk is one of America’s most iconic cruise missiles. With a range of around 1,500 miles, it can be launched from ships or submarines, flying low at sub-sonic speeds while using GPS, inertial guidance, and even terrain contour matching to strike with pinpoint accuracy.
The missile earned its reputation during the 1991 Gulf War, when hundreds were unleashed on Saddam Hussein’s command centres. Since then, the US has fired Tomahawks in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Yemen, and even against suspected nuclear sites in Iran.
Britain also has Tomahawks in its arsenal, fired from Royal Navy submarines in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
\Ukraine’s own answer: the Flamingo
At the same time as pressing the US, Kyiv is developing its own long-range cruise missile, known as the Flamingo. Makers Fire Point claim it outperforms the Tomahawk, flying faster (590mph vs 550mph), further (1,800 miles vs 1,500 miles), and with proven use against Russian targets.
Still, Zelensky believes access to US Tomahawks would be a game-changer. This isn’t his first attempt: he reportedly asked former President Joe Biden for the missiles last year as part of his “Victory Plan,” but was turned down amid fears of escalation.
The stakes for Washington
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the US has been Ukraine’s most crucial source of military support. But Washington has consistently drawn the line at allowing Kyiv to use American weapons against Russian territory, wary of triggering a wider conflict with a nuclear-armed adversary.
Whether Trump is willing to break that red line, and give Ukraine the firepower to strike the Kremlin itself, could mark one of the most dramatic shifts in US policy since the war began.
