Pentagon approves Tomahawk transfer to Ukraine, but there is a caveat – CNN
31 October 22:53
The United States Department of Defense has approved the transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, but the delivery will begin only after President Donald Trump’s final decision. This was reported by CNN, citing sources in the US administration, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
What is known about the Pentagon’s decision
The US Department of Defense has informed the White House that the Tomahawk transfer will not affect the US Army’s stockpile.
This message came even before the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, which took place in October in Washington.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to provide missiles that would allow for precision strikes on energy and military facilities deep in Russia.
The range of the Tomahawk is about 1600 kilometers, which makes it possible to hit strategic targets even in the central part of Russia.
Why Trump is hesitating
During a working lunch with Zelensky, Trump said he did not want to “give away what is needed to protect America.”
A few days earlier, he said that the United States has “a lot of Tomahawks,” but later he abruptly changed his position.
According to CNN, the change occurred after a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin.
The Russian dictator allegedly warned Trump that the missiles could reach Moscow and St. Petersburg, and that sending them would “worsen relations between the United States and Russia.”
After this conversation, Trump told Zelenskyy that the United States would not be transferring the Tomahawk “for now.”
Ready for a quick transfer
Despite the pause, the issue is not closed.
CNN sources say that the Trump administration has already developed a plan to quickly transfer the missiles to Ukraine if the president gives the order.
According to journalists, Trump has recently become increasingly irritated by Putin’s unwillingness to talk about peace.
Last week, he approved new sanctions against Russian oil companies and canceled a planned meeting in Budapest to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
How Ukraine can use Tomahawk
Tomahawk missiles are usually launched from ships or submarines, but the Ukrainian navy is currently weakened.
Therefore, the missiles will probably have to be launched from land-based installations.
The U.S. Marine Corps and the Army already have land-based launch systems that could be transferred to Kyiv.
If this does not happen, European officials are confident that Ukrainian engineers will find a technical solution – as they did with the British Storm Shadow missiles adapted to Soviet aircraft.
What it means for Ukraine
The delivery of Tomahawk will open up new opportunities for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to conduct deep strikes against Russian military and infrastructure targets, including oil depots, logistics hubs, and command posts.
This could weaken Russia’s defense and force Moscow to pull resources away from the front line.
However, Trump’s decision depends not only on military arguments, but also has a political dimension.
On the one hand, there is pressure from allies and Ukrainian requests, and on the other hand, there is a risk of worsening relations with Russia.
What Zelenskyy says
In a post on the X platform (Twitter), President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is seeking to expand its long-range capabilities by the end of the year to end the war “on fair terms.”
“Global sanctions and our precision accuracy are gradually synchronizing to end this war on terms that are fair to Ukraine. All targets for deep strikes should be achieved by the end of the year,” Zelensky wrote.
What is a Tomahawk missile?
The Tomahawk is a long-range cruise missile developed by Raytheon for the US Army.
It can hit targets up to 1,600 km away, flies at low altitude, bypassing air defense systems, and has high accuracy.
The Tomahawk has been used in operations in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and other conflicts.
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