Trump to make 'final determination' on supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles as Russia 'refuses' peace talks, Vance says
U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed on Sept. 28 that the U.S. is "looking at" providing Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, as Moscow continues to refuse bilateral and trilateral peace talks brokered by President Donald Trump.
"You asked this question about Tomahawks. It's something the president is going to make the final determination on. What the president is going to do is what's in the best interest for the United States of America," Vance told Fox News in an interview.
"I know we're having conversations this very minute about the issue," Vance continued.
President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Trump to supply Kyiv with Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles during a meeting with the U.S. president on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the Telegraph reported on Sept. 26.
Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to Washington for long-range strike capabilities throughout the war, but the United States has so far declined to provide such weapons.
Zelensky told Trump that the advanced weapons system could help pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiations for a peace deal, according to multiple sources cited by the Telegraph. The Ukrainian leader later said Trump was open to the request, which, if granted, would give Ukraine the ability to strike targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow.
Vance on Sept. 28 acknowledge frustration within the White House amid Moscow's reluctance to attend leader-level peace talks.
"What we've seen over the last couple of weeks, the Russians have refused to sit down with any bilateral meetings with the Ukrainians. They've refused to sit down with any trilateral meetings where the president or some other member of the administration could sit down with the Russians and the Ukrainians."
The comments come amid signs of a shift in Trump's approach to the war. Following his meeting with Zelensky on Sept. 23 in New York, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form."
"The Russians are not gaining a lot. This war is terrible for their economy, and they have to ask themselves how many more people are they going to have to lose and how many more people are they going to have to kill for very little military advantage," the U.S. vice president added in his interview.
"We hope the Russians actually wake up to reality on the ground," Vance concluded.
In recent weeks, Trump has overseen a new NATO-financed program to supply U.S. weapons to Ukraine under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program, with initial aid packages including Patriot air defenses and HIMARS rocket systems.
