Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly asked US President Donald Trump to supply Kyiv with Tomahawk cruise missiles during their private meeting at the United Nations General Assembly, according to multiple sources cited by The Telegraph.
Tomahawk missiles, with a range of up to 2,400 kilometers, would put Moscow and other strategic sites within reach. The Telegraph reported that Zelenskyy told Trump the long-range weapons could help force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table after more than three years of war.
Trump shows openness to Ukrainian request
The Ukrainian president said Trump had been open to the request, stating that the US president told him, "we will work on it," according to the sources.
Diplomatic sources told The Telegraph that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Trump's position on Ukraine as a positive shift, while also noting the president's growing frustration with Putin for dismissing his mediation efforts.
Washington previously rejected similar appeals under Joe Biden, citing fears of escalation. The Biden administration called Ukrainian Tomahawk requests "unfeasible," according to previous reporting by The New York Times.
Deployment challenges remain for long-range missiles
Ukrainian military intelligence previously identified potential deployment issues with Tomahawk missiles. Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency HUR, told reporters that Tomahawk missiles are "not easy to use" and require either combat ships or strategic bombers as launch platforms, which Ukraine lacks.
The conversation builds on previous Trump-Zelenskyy discussions. The Washington Post reported in July that Trump asked why Ukraine hadn't struck Moscow and suggested targeting St. Petersburg as well. When Zelenskyy responded "we can if you give us the weapons," Trump said Ukraine needed to put more pressure on Putin.
Ukrainian targeting plans and alternative weapons
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would consider Russian energy facilities and even the Kremlin as potential targets if the missiles were delivered, but insisted Kyiv would only mirror Moscow's tactics if Russia struck Ukraine's own infrastructure, according to The Telegraph.
Ukraine continues developing domestic alternatives. The recently unveiled Flamingo missile has a 3,000 km range and carries a heavier warhead than Tomahawks. Fire Point, the manufacturer, claims production rates of seven missiles daily by next month.
Analysts in Kyiv argue that the request follows the same trajectory as past appeals for tanks and F-16s - once deemed off-limits by Western allies but eventually approved.
