Tomahawk deliveries could force Russia to 'sober up' and negotiate, Zelensky says
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The delivery of long-requested Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine may force Russia to see the real state of affairs, and sit down at the negotiating table, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 8.
During a meeting with journalists, Zelensky said that U.S. President Donald Trump "can give Ukraine some far-reaching things" that will significantly strengthen Kyiv's position in any future talks.
"Right now, it is important to send a signal that Ukraine will be strengthened by all means possible. And this is one of those means that is important to me — Tomahawks," he said.
"All such things can strengthen Ukraine and force the Russians to sober up a little, sit down at the negotiating table."
The president said he first raised the issue with Trump last fall in New York, when Trump was still a presidential candidate. Zelensky met with the then-Republican nominee at Trump Tower on Sept. 27, 2024.
During their latest meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Zelensky said Trump did not rule it out and "promised to work on a technical level and consider such a possibility."
The Ukrainian president noted that Kyiv had previously requested the long-range cruise missiles during former U.S. President Joe Biden's term, but the appeal was rejected.
The Tomahawk is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile designed for precision strikes. With a range of 1,600 to 2,500 kilometers (995 to 1,550 miles), it would allow Kyiv to reach targets as far as Siberia.
Ukraine currently depends largely on domestically produced long-range drones to strike deep inside Russia, weapons that carry tens rather than hundreds of kilograms of explosives.
The Kremlin has warned that any Tomahawk deliveries to Ukraine would sharply escalate the war.
Speaking at the Valdai Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said such a move would mark a "new stage of escalation" and could undermine any progress in U.S.-Russia relations.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called the potential transfer a "qualitative change in the situation," claiming the missiles could only be used with "the involvement of American personnel."
The U.S. president said on Oct. 6 that he has "sort of made a decision" on whether to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk long-range missiles, but wants "to find out what they're doing with them."
The discussion over Tomahawk deliveries comes as Trump's administration begins supplying weapons to Ukraine through a NATO-supported framework.
The first aid package, approved on Sept. 16, included Patriot and HIMARS missiles.
