Axios: Trump says US has no intention of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
18 October 08:21
US President Donald Trump has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he does not intend to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv at this time.
This was reported by the Axios portal, citing sources, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“On Friday, in a tense meeting, President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he did not intend to supply Tomahawk long-range missiles, at least for the time being,” the article says.
According to the portal’s sources, the head of the White House noted during the meeting that Washington’s priority is diplomacy, and that missile deliveries would be an obstacle to it.
During the talks, Zelenskyy suggested that Trump organize an exchange of Ukrainian drones for American Tomahawk cruise missiles. According to him, the parties could mutually strengthen their military capabilities through such an exchange.
The American politician, in turn, emphasized that Washington prefers a scenario in which Kyiv does not need Tomahawk cruise missiles. In addition, answering a journalist’s question about the prospect of new weapons for Ukraine, Trump said that the priority is to ensure his own country’s weapons stockpile.
What Zelensky told the media about the outcome of the meeting
As a reminder, after the meeting at the White House, the President of Ukraine had a telephone conversation with a number of European leaders. Soon after, he went to the media and answered questions from the press.
In particular, Zelenskyy confirmed that he had discussed Tomahawks with Trump, but said that the two decided not to discuss the issue publicly because the United States wanted to avoid escalation.
Asked if he was optimistic about Tomahawks, the Ukrainian leader replied: “I am a realist”.
He also said that the topic of providing Tomahawks to Ukraine has not been canceled. Zelenskyy emphasized that Trump should understand that Ukraine needs these weapons as much as the United States does.
In addition, he said, the Russians are afraid not only of these missiles, but also of how Ukraine will be able to combine them with other weapons.
“We are not talking only about Tomahawk, we need a combination. That is why they are afraid, because they realize what we can do. That is why they are taking various steps and sending positive messages, of course, not to the Ukrainian side,” the president added.
It is worth noting that after the meeting, Trump wrote a post on his social media urging the parties to stop on the current front line. Zelenskyy, for his part, supported this idea, emphasizing that he was ready for any format that could bring peace closer.
The head of state also said that the issue of territories would be the most difficult during the negotiation process.
