Trump said he would give Ukraine long-range missiles if Russia did not immediately end the war.

President Donald Trump warned Russia on October 12 that he could send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Moscow does not make peace efforts, writes Associated PressMeanwhile, Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he will meet with Trump in Washington on October 17, reports Deutsche Welle.

Trump hinted that he was prepared to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin's government using Tomahawk missiles, a key weapons system.

"I can say, 'Look, if this war isn't resolved, I'm going to send them Tomahawks,'" Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One during a flight to Israel. "The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon. And frankly, Russia doesn't want it."

Trump also stated, "I can tell them that if the war isn't resolved, we might as well do it." He then added, "We might not, but we might do it. I think it's worth mentioning."

On the subject: Weapons for Kyiv, an ultimatum for Moscow: Trump changed the approach to the war in Ukraine

His statements came after a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Trump noted that he mentioned the possibility of sending Tomahawk cruise missiles.

"Do they want Tomahawks flying their way? I don't think so," Trump said of Russia. "I think I can talk to Russia about that." He added, "Tomahawks are a new step in aggression."

The White House chief announced the possible transfer of missiles after Russia once again attacked Ukraine's power grid. The attack was part of an ongoing campaign to undermine Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of winter. Moscow expressed "extreme concern" over the possible transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States to Ukraine.

Putin previously stated that US supplies of long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington.

For his part, Zelenskyy described his latest conversation with Trump as "very productive" and said they discussed strengthening Ukraine's "air defense, resilience, and long-range capabilities," as well as "issues related to the energy sector."
In an interview with Fox News Channel's "The Sunday Briefing" after speaking with the American president, Zelensky was asked whether Trump had approved the transfer of Tomahawk missiles. The Ukrainian leader replied: "We are working on it...
I'm waiting for the president to say 'yes.' Of course, we're counting on such decisions, but we'll see. We'll see."

The Ukrainian president said on October 10 that he was in talks with American officials about the possible provision of various long-range precision-guided strike missiles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and ATACMS ballistic missiles.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in comments published Sunday that "the Tomahawks issue is extremely concerning."

Trump, irritated by Russia's stance, said last week that he had "kind of already made a decision" about possibly sending Tomahawks to Ukraine, but did not elaborate.

In recent weeks, the US president has taken a noticeably tougher stance against Putin after the Russian leader refused to engage in direct talks with Zelenskyy on de-escalating hostilities.

Last month, Trump said he now believed it was possible for Ukraine to regain all the territory it lost to Russian aggression, a sharp shift from his previous statements, when he repeatedly called on Kyiv to make concessions to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

However, Trump, at least for now, has refused Zelenskyy's requests for the Tomahawks. These missiles would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory and exert the pressure on Putin that Zelenskyy believes is necessary to force Russia to seriously engage in peace negotiations.

Trump said on Air Force One: "I really think Putin would look great if he got this thing sorted out," and "it's going to be bad for him if he doesn't get it sorted out."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he will meet with Trump in Washington this week. He made the announcement on Monday, October 13, in Kyiv at a joint press conference with European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas. The Ukrainian delegation, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak, and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Rustem Umerov, has already departed for Washington.

Zelenskyy's visit is expected on October 17. According to him, one of the topics of discussion with Trump will be the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine. This information was confirmed by two sources to the American publication Axios: "They (Trump and Zelenskyy. — Ed.) will discuss what weapons should be supplied to Ukraine, and in particular whether the US is going to provide Tomahawk missiles."

Later, Trump confirmed that he would meet with Zelensky at the White House on October 17.

Trump and Zelensky spoke twice over the weekend.

The two leaders held phone calls on October 11 and 12. Zelenskyy reported on the conversations, calling both meetings "very productive." According to Axios, the topic of possible Tomahawk missile supplies was raised during the October 11 conversation.

"We see and hear: Russia is afraid the Americans might give us Tomahawks. This is a signal that this kind of pressure can promote peace," Zelenskyy said.

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According to media reports, Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested the delivery of Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 1250-2500 km, back in late September during a closed meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Ukrainian president assured that if the Ukrainian Armed Forces received these missiles, they would use them only against military targets.

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