Pentagon Backs Tomahawk Missile Supply to Ukraine, Final Decision Awaits Trump’s Approval
The U.S. Department of Defense has endorsed the potential transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, assessing that such a move would not undermine American defense stockpiles. However, the ultimate decision remains with President Donald Trump.
The Gaze reports this, referring to CNN.
Sources told CNN that the Joint Chiefs of Staff conveyed their assessment to the White House in early October, shortly before Trump’s meeting in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had urged the U.S. to approve the delivery.
During that meeting, Trump reportedly expressed reluctance, saying he did not want to “give away what we need to defend our own country.”
Yet, only days earlier, the U.S. leader had publicly stated that America possessed “many Tomahawks” that could potentially be sent to Ukraine that left European allies optimistic about an eventual approval.
Those hopes faded quickly when, following a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump reversed course. According to CNN’s sources, Putin warned that Tomahawk missiles could strike major Russian cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, arguing their use would not alter the battlefield situation but would damage U.S.-Russia relations.
The next day, Trump told Zelenskyy privately that the U.S. would not supply the missiles “at least for now.” Still, officials say the option remains open. The administration has prepared contingency plans to deliver the missiles swiftly if Trump authorizes the transfer.
While the Pentagon has no concerns about missile availability, military planners are still working out key operational details, including how Ukraine would be trained to operate and deploy the systems.
One major unresolved issue is launch capability: Tomahawks are typically fired from ships or submarines, but Ukraine’s navy has been heavily degraded. The U.S. Marine Corps and Army have developed ground-based launchers, which could be provided to Ukraine as an alternative.
Even if Washington refrains from supplying the launch systems, several European officials believe Ukraine could adapt existing infrastructure to make use of its own missiles.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that the proposal to send Tomahawks to Ukraine remains “under review” by the Trump administration. President Zelenskyy, for his part, said that Trump did not say “no” to the idea but he also did not say “yes.”
As The Gaze previously reported, U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles, with ranges varying from approximately 1,600 to 2,500 kilometers depending on the variant, would allow Ukraine to strike heavily fortified and high-value targets that were previously out of reach.