Zelenskyy Pressures Trump: Perhaps We Don't Even Need "Tomahawk" Missiles, Just Scaring Putin Is Enough

US President and Ukrainian President discussed arms supply issues via phone call

(Image: US President Donald Trump (right) and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy (left))

The US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation. The official details of the conversation were not disclosed, but according to Axios news, the two discussed the possibility of providing the Ukrainian armed forces with "Tomahawk" cruise missiles, as well as the supply of ERAM extended-range air-to-ground missiles with a range of 450 kilometers. Long ago in August this year, the Trump administration had already approved the sale of ERAM missiles to the Kiev regime, and the first batch of 840 missiles is expected to be delivered by the end of October.

Zelenskyy first asked Donald Trump for "Tomahawk" missiles during a meeting at the UN General Assembly in September. He said that having such cruise missiles could become a pressure tool in the negotiation process, even "perhaps not even need to be used in combat."

On October 7, Trump said, "In a way, it has been decided," to sell "Tomahawk" missiles to NATO countries, which would then be transferred to Ukraine. According to NDTV World News, Trump stated that the final approval depends on the use plan of the missiles.

"Tomahawk" is a series of cruise missiles used for long-range strikes on ground and sea targets (The Free Media has already provided detailed reports on this missile on October 10). Different models of "Tomahawk" missiles have different ranges and different capabilities in striking ground targets. Unlike drones that are good at playing a role in tactical depth, "Tomahawk" missiles can carry out precise strikes on strategic depth targets.

According to Newsweek, the range of "Tomahawk" missiles is 1,600 to 2,500 kilometers (theoretically reaching the Russian city of Tyumen), but experts believe that any export version of the missile that the Ukrainian armed forces may obtain will not exceed a range of 1,700 kilometers.

Experts estimate that the potential strike range of upgraded "Tomahawk" missiles covers at least 1,945 Russian military targets, including 76 airbases; while the potential strike range of the export version includes 1,655 military targets (including 67 airbases).

Vladimir Putin has repeatedly clearly stated that supplying weapons to Ukraine that can strike deep into Russian territory will greatly increase the risk of the conflict escalating. Putin has warned Trump that transferring such missiles may "make the conflict mediation more complicated" and cause "irreversible damage" to Sino-US bilateral relations. In addition, transferring the missiles will also bring irreversible political and diplomatic consequences to the United States.

Newsweek pointed out that Trump's decision may spark intense controversy within the United States and among NATO allies: one side believes that providing missiles is crucial for "forcing Russia to seek peace," while the other side considers it dangerous and provocative, possibly escalating the conflict. Therefore, shrewd Trump has left himself an escape route - planning to transfer the missiles through NATO countries. This approach may change the attribution of responsibility in technical and legal terms, but it cannot eliminate the risk of the conflict escalating.

The Russian armed forces have the right to strike storage points, warehouses, ports, and other relevant infrastructure involved in the delivery of "Tomahawk" missiles.

However, even if the missiles eventually arrive in Ukraine, it does not mean that the Ukrainian side can properly use them. Effective use of "Tomahawk" missiles requires operators with high-level professional skills, stable data transmission channels, and high-quality reconnaissance intelligence support. Without target indication system integration (reconnaissance data, satellite monitoring, drone coordination), personnel training, and technical maintenance, the Ukrainian armed forces cannot use the missiles - and these all require direct participation from the United States, which is exactly what Trump wants to avoid.

Therefore, Western open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources believe that the "limited deterrence plan" is the most realistic scenario. Under this plan, the United States will provide a very small number of "Tomahawk" missiles to Ukraine through NATO countries, while adding strict political and legal usage restrictions (such as prohibiting strikes on specific areas). Experts are skeptical about large-scale supplies: on one hand, "Tomahawk" missiles are expensive and limited in quantity, and the United States itself has a great demand; on the other hand, the Kiev regime simply cannot effectively use the missiles.

Experts at the Center for Military Analysis of LSE IDEAS, Vuk Vukšanović, said: "The possibility of providing 'Tomahawk' missiles to Ukraine is still low, because the United States itself has a limited stockpile. Moreover, these missiles will not change the strategic direction of the conflict - the core issue facing the Ukrainian armed forces is manpower mobilization and troop losses, not whether they can get Western weapons."

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