WASHINGTON D.C. / MOSCOW:
Tensions between the United States and Russia have surged following indications that the Trump administration is considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, a move that would grant Kyiv the ability to strike deep into Russian territory.
In a Fox News interview broadcast on Sunday, US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg was asked if President Trump had authorised strikes deep into Russia. Kellogg affirmed the policy shift:
“Reading what (Trump) has said and reading what Vice President (JD) Vance has said, as well as (Secretary of State Marco) Rubio, the answer is yes… Use the ability to hit deep. There are no such things as sanctuaries.”
Vice President JD Vance confirmed in a separate Fox News appearance that the US was having “conversations” about supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, a request Trump had previously denied, adding that the president would make the “final determination.”
Trump’s Shift on Ukraine
This marks a significant shift in policy for President Trump. Last week, after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump said Kyiv was in a position, with European help, to fight and “win all of Ukraine back in its original form.” This contrasts with his previous statement in February when he told Zelensky that “you don’t have the cards” to beat Russia.
Tomahawk cruise missiles have a range of up to 2,500 km (1,550 miles), which would put most of European Russia, including Moscow, within striking distance if launched from Ukraine.
Kremlin’s Response and Escalation Warning
Russia immediately issued a sharp warning, stating that the move could trigger a “steep escalation” in the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a Monday press briefing that the Russian military was analysing the potential delivery. However, Peskov dismissed the missiles’ potential impact on the battlefield:
“There’s no panacea that can change the situation on the front for the Kyiv regime… There’s no magic weapon. Whether it’s Tomahawks or other missiles, they won’t be able to change the dynamic.”
Russia also emphasized the need for “very in-depth analysis” to determine who would launch and who would control the targeting of these missiles—Ukrainians or American military personnel—as this touches upon the risk of direct US involvement in the war.
