The Pentagon gave the White House the green light to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles after assessing that it would not negatively impact US stockpiles, leaving the final decision to President Donald Trump.
Pentagon Assessment
The Joint Staff informed the White House in October 2025 that providing Tomahawk missiles would not negatively affect US military readiness. The assessment came just before Trump’s October 17 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had been pushing for the missiles to target oil and energy facilities deep inside Russia.
Tomahawk cruise missiles have a range of around 1,000 miles and are typically launched from ships or submarines. The Pentagon’s clearance was viewed positively by European allies, who believed it removed concerns about depleting US stockpiles.
Trump’s Decision
Despite the Pentagon’s readiness, Trump decided against transferring the missiles after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 16—one day before Zelenskyy’s White House visit.
During the call, Putin warned Trump that providing Tomahawks would significantly damage US-Russia relations, though Putin argued the weapons wouldn’t change battlefield dynamics. Though Trump had previously voiced concerns about depleting US missile stockpiles, the conversation with Putin convinced him to definitively withhold the weapons.
The Setup
A transcript published by Bloomberg shows that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arranged the Trump-Putin callduring an October 14 conversation with Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov. Witkoff suggested Putin call Trump shortly before Zelenskyy’s arrival in Washington.
Shift in Weapons Policy
During Trump’s October 17 meeting with Zelenskyy, the president said he would rather not provide the missiles because “we don’t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country.”
However, the Trump administration has shifted toward selling weapons to Ukraine rather than transferring them as aid—often financed through NATO partners. This model allows the administration to bypass Congress for approval.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna, later said Ukraine was holding “positive” talks with Washington about purchasing Tomahawk missiles and other long-range weapons, though no deal has been finalized.
