WASHINGTON — President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine renewed his appeals to President Trump for long-range weaponry, including Tomahawk missiles, assuring that they would solely target military assets in Russia.
During a conversation with Trump on Sunday, Zelensky expressed optimism, citing a recent peace deal between Israel and Hamas as a sign that an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine could be on the horizon.
“He remarked that [the] war in Ukraine is harder [to resolve], indicating it’s a bigger conflict,” Zelensky shared during a discussion on The Sunday Briefing on Fox News.
“[Vladimir] Putin is unwilling to end the conflict and does not feel sufficient pressure,” he added.
“We require two essentials to exert real pressure on Putin,” he continued. “I communicated to him that we need robust air defense systems, and we also require long-range weapon capabilities.”
Zelensky has been urging Trump for several weeks to authorize the sales of Tomahawk missiles, which are capable of striking targets over 1,500 miles away.
The provision of such arms would allow Ukraine to reach vital military installations utilized by Russia, although supplying these weapons to Ukraine could further heighten tensions with Moscow.
<p“It’s strictly for military purposes,” the Ukrainian president reiterated. “Despite the tragic losses of our families, soldiers, civilians, and children… we never target their civilians. This is a significant distinction between Ukraine and Russia.”
Kremlin representatives have expressed “extreme concern” regarding the potential sale of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, and Russian lawmakers have cautioned that the U.S. could face repercussions for such actions.
Allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory would facilitate the destruction of critical military resources the Kremlin employs in its aggression.
This strategy might also compel Russia to reposition some of its air defense systems from Ukraine back to its own borders, thus potentially increasing the effectiveness of Ukrainian operations.
Although Trump has maintained an exploratory stance on the missile sales, he has voiced some hesitations.
<p“I want to ascertain how they would be utilized,” he commented to the media last week. “Where would they be deployed? Those are questions I would need to explore.”
<p“I would have to inquire further. My intention is not to escalate that conflict.”
Recently, Trump sharply shifted his views on the Ukraine situation, hinting that Russia might be a “paper tiger” and speculating that Ukraine could reclaim all its territory and potentially advance further.
Zelensky underlined the complexities of the ongoing conflict, as Ukraine faces threats from Iranian drones and North Korean artillery augmenting Russian forces.
<p“We are a resilient nation, yet we lack the size to confront Russia alongside Iran and North Korea. It’s overwhelming,” he lamented.
The Ukrainian leader did not confirm whether Trump consented to provide Ukraine with strategic intelligence for targeting energy facilities within Russia, but he expressed satisfaction with their collaboration. “I feel positive regarding the cooperation between our intelligence agencies… they have established strong connections,” he stated.
