US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he might threaten his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, with supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kiev if Moscow does not end the war in Ukraine.
“Maybe I will talk to him about it. Maybe I will tell him: Look, if this war does not end, I will send them Tomahawks,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked if he would address the issue with the Russian president himself, reports AFP, cited by Agerpres.
In recent months, Donald Trump has considered selling long-range American Tomahawk missiles to Europeans to deliver them to Ukraine, after his mid-August meeting with Putin in Alaska (United States) did not allow progress towards ending the war.
“A new stage in aggression”
On Sunday, the White House leader revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had requested Tomahawk missiles during Saturday’s phone conversation about a new arms delivery to Kiev.
“The Tomahawk represents a new stage in aggression,” added Donald Trump, who was traveling in Israel and Egypt to promote a long-term peace deal in Gaza.
“Do they want Tomahawk missiles launched in their direction? I don’t think so,” he added.
Vladimir Putin had previously warned against supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kiev, saying that this would constitute “a new escalation” and would affect relations between Washington and Moscow.
The American president repeats that the war in Ukraine, which he committed to resolve within 24 hours of taking office in January, is the most difficult conflict he has tried to end.