LONDON– A supply of united state Tomahawk cruise ship projectiles to Ukraine might assist “press Russia back,” Margus Tsahkna– the international preacher of NATO ally Estonia– informed ABC Information, after United State Head of state Donald Trump stated he had “kind of decided” on whether to green-light the long-range tool for Ukrainian usage.
Tsahkna stated in a meeting Tuesday that Trump accepting the supply of the cruise ship rocket to Kyiv would certainly send out “a really solid message” to Moscow.
” Whatever we can provide– with no limitations– to Ukraine, it is assisting to win the battle and press Russia back,” Tsahkna stated. “So, if Head of state Trump and the united state is making a decision to remove limitations from armed forces assistance, too Tomahawks, it’s simply assisting Ukraine to win and press Russia back.”
” It depends on the united state to make a decision that,” Tsahkna stated.
This data picture reveals a Tomahawk cruise ship rocket being introduced from the directed rocket cruiser USS Cape St. George, on March 23, 2003.
Ho New/Reuters/Kenneth moll
Ukrainian Head Of State Volodymyr Zelenskyy has actually verified that Kyiv is looking for accessibility to the American-made long-range rocket, various versions of which have varieties of approximately 1,550 miles, according to the Rocket Protection Job at the Facility for Strategic and International Researches.
Russia’s most populated and politically crucial cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and a host of crucial air, marine, oil refining and drone manufacturing centers would certainly be within array if the longest-range variation of the Tomahawk is provided to Ukraine.
There continue to be significant barriers to any kind of Ukrainian use Tomahawks. For one, the major launch systems for the cruise ship rocket are marine vessels– most frequently submarines– and bombing plane airplane, neither of which Ukraine has.
Just over the last few years has the united state created a tiny and really restricted capacity of shooting Tomahawks from big launch cars, referred to as the Typhon rocket system. Germany and the Philippines have actually supposedly revealed a rate of interest in acquiring the Typhon, however to day, just the united state runs the system. The handful of such launch cars in the united state armed force’s stock makes it most likely that they would certainly not get on the battleground anytime quickly if authorized by Head of state Trump.
NATO allies have actually stated little on the capacity for Ukrainian Tomahawk usage, or allied assistance for their supply.
” I believe I intend to figure out what they’re finishing with them,” Trump stated of Ukraine’s Tomahawk demand on Monday. “I would certainly ask some inquiries. I’m not seeking to rise that battle.”
The Kremlin has actually cautioned that a Tomahawk supply to Ukraine would certainly do simply that.
” This will certainly cause the devastation of our connections, or a minimum of the favorable fads that have actually arised in these connections,” Russian Head of state Vladimir Putin stated in a video launched on Sunday by Russian state tv.
On Monday, Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov informed press reporters that Moscow is “thoroughly assessing” associated advancements.
” The inquiry, as previously, is as complies with: That can introduce these projectiles, also if they get on the region of the Kyiv routine– can just Ukrainians introduce them, or should the united state armed force do so?” he asked.
” That establishes the targets for these projectiles– the American side or the Ukrainians themselves?” Peskov included. “As a result, a really comprehensive evaluation is required below. We have actually absolutely listened to the declarations, they are really significant, and we are researching them.”
” Also if this occurs, there is no cure all that can currently transform the circumstance on the cutting edge for the Kyiv routine, there is no magic tool, be it Tomahawks or projectiles– they will certainly not have the ability to transform the characteristics,” Peskov stated.
Authorities in Kyiv stated they differ.
The Tomahawk “is very crucial as a deterrent tool, since the existence of this tool for Russia will certainly be a clear signal that we have something to react with if they proceed this fear,” Serhiy Leshchenko, an advisor to the head of Zelenskyy’s workplace, stated in a tv look.
Estonian Foreign Priest Margus Tsahkna supplies a declaration at a United Nations Protection Council conference on Sept. 22, 2025 in New York City City.
Spencer Platt/Getty Pictures
Andriy Kovalenko– the head of the Counter-Disinformation Facility running as component of Ukraine’s National Protection and Protection Council– stated in blog posts to Telegram that the Tomahawk would certainly stand for “not tactical prevention, however a calculated pivotal moment.”
” As quickly as Moscow and St. Petersburg totally and continually really feel the battle, it will certainly suggest either a look for a substitute for Putin by the elites and a leave from the battle, a minimum of briefly, or Putin himself will certainly do whatever to quit the battle,” Kovalenko recommended.
However substantial useful difficulties continue to be.
Ivan Stupak, a previous police officer in the Protection Solution of Ukraine (SBU), recommended in a meeting with ABC Information that the Tomahawk is the most up to date headline-grabbing “marvel tool” that would certainly have a restricted battleground result, also if the White Residence chose to authorize its transfer to Ukrainian collections.
It is unclear the number of Tomahawks the united state armed force might save for Ukrainian usage. The price of Tomahawk manufacturing has actually varied from 55 to 90 every year over the last few years, according to Reuters. The Government has currently stated it intends to acquire simply 57 projectiles in 2026.
The strength of the battle in Ukraine overshadows those numbers. Current months have actually seen Russia launch in between 100 and 200 projectiles of all kinds right into Ukraine every month, per Ukrainian flying force information evaluated by ABC Information. On a nighttime basis, Ukraine introduces lots of long-range drones right into Russia, according to the Protection Ministry in Moscow.
Stupak, that has actually recommended Ukrainian legislators on protection issues throughout Russia’s full-blown intrusion, stated he was cynical that the united state would certainly provide sufficient Tomahawks to transform the trend of the battle.
united state control over target choice might restrict their performance better, Stupak stated, as might American worries concerning delicate technological information coming under Russian hands if any kind of Tomahawks were caught.
In addition to the concern of launch systems, there would certainly be a demand for training. Unless American armed forces workers get on the ground to help in their use– and Trump has currently openly dismissed released united state soldiers to Ukraine– Ukrainian drivers will certainly additionally require substantial training to be able to utilize the tool.
Ukraine is currently utilizing shorter-range Western-supplied cruise ship projectiles– the Tornado Shadow/SCALP British-French cruise ship rocket, which have an optimal array much much shorter than the Tomahawk at around 155 miles.
A dummy Tomahawk land strike rocket is seen onboard HMS Artful, a British submarine, at a shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, U.K., on March 13, 2014.
Phil Noble/Reuters
The level of allied participation in their usage is vague, however Germany’s then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz was commonly slammed for hinting in 2024 that British and French workers were associated with “target control.”
Yuriy Boyechko, the Chief Executive Officer of the Wish for Ukraine altruistic company, informed ABC Information he was cynical of any kind of Tomahawk proposition.
” Ukraine presently does not have the specialized launch devices or the experienced workers required to field the Tomahawk rocket system,” he stated. “Now, Ukraine is under everyday mass strikes and requires fast, useful services to shield private citizens and to perform offending procedures deep right into Russian region.”
The “just option” for Kyiv, Stupak recommended, is for Ukraine to proceed its very own cruise ship rocket and ballistic rocket manufacturing drive.
