Pentagon gives green light to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, but there's a catch – CNN
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
The Pentagon has approved the transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. However, deliveries will not begin until President Donald Trump makes the final decision, CNN reports.
According to the outlet's sources, the Joint Staff informed the White House that supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would not negatively affect US stockpiles. This assessment was made well before Trump’s October 17 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Unnamed European officials told CNN that the Pentagon's conclusion encouraged America's European allies, who believed Washington now had fewer reasons to deny Ukraine the missiles.
Their optimism was reinforced by Trump's remark that the US has "a lot of Tomahawks."
However, officials were surprised when Trump suddenly reversed his position and told Zelenskyy that the US also needs such missiles.
At the same time, CNN's sources said Trump has not ruled out sending Tomahawks to Ukraine, and his administration has already prepared a plan for rapid delivery should he give the order.
The issue of using Tomahawk is already being discussed
Pentagon officials are also discussing how Ukrainian forces could be trained to operate Tomahawks. Several operational details still need to be resolved.
One key issue is how Ukraine would launch the missiles, as they are typically fired from ships or submarines. In Ukraine's case, launches would likely have to be carried out from land. For this purpose, the US Marine Corps and Army have developed ground-based launch systems that could be provided to Kyiv.
One CNN source noted that Ukrainian engineers had successfully adapted British Storm Shadow missiles for Soviet-era fighter jets. Therefore, Ukraine is likely capable of finding a technological solution for Tomahawks as well.
Tomahawks for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine would like to receive long-range Tomahawk missiles.
He said Russia fears how Ukraine could combine such weapons with its own domestically produced systems.
Tomahawk supplies were one of the main topics of discussion during Trump and Zelenskyy's recent meeting.
During the talks, Zelenskyy proposed a deal under which Ukraine could supply the US with thousands of drones in exchange for Tomahawks. However, Trump ultimately declined the offer.
Just one day before meeting Zelenskyy, Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After that conversation, the American leader's stance on Tomahawks shifted significantly.
