Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed on Tuesday that President Trump’s choice not to provide long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine has diminished Russia’s willingness to engage in diplomatic discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe.
“The front line could prompt some diplomatic efforts. Instead, Russia seems intent on avoiding meaningful dialogue, and once the issue of long-range capabilities for Ukraine was no longer urgent, their interest in diplomacy faded nearly instantly,” Zelenskyy remarked in a video address. He implied that this matter regarding Ukraine’s offensive capabilities could be crucial for achieving peace.
During a meeting in Washington on Friday, Zelenskyy described his discussions with Trump as “positive,” even though they did not secure a U.S. promise to send powerful munitions that can reach approximately 1,000 miles, contingent upon the variant.
“It’s not straightforward for us to facilitate… we’re talking about a significant number of very powerful weapons,” the president stated just before his private conversation with Zelenskyy.
“That’s something we’ll discuss. I really hope they won’t need it. I hope we can resolve the conflict without contemplating the Tomahawk,” Trump added.
Military experts mentioned last week that the Tomahawk is crafted to fly at subsonic speeds and low altitudes to avoid radar detection, enhancing Ukraine’s ability to target Russian military establishments and energy resources deep within their territory.
Zelenskyy underscored the significance of the Tomahawk’s capabilities, noting that it is a type of weapon that Russia takes “seriously.”
“The more long-range capabilities Ukraine possesses, the stronger Russia’s inclination to conclude the war. Recent weeks confirm this. The conversation around the Tomahawk proved to be a key diplomatic lever, forcing Russia to recognize that it views this weapon as significant,” he noted.
“We will keep engaging with Europe and the United States on long-range capabilities,” he continued. “Of course, air defense remains our top priority.”
On Sunday, Zelenskyy announced that the U.S. and Ukraine are close to finalizing a long-term agreement to deploy 25 Patriot air defense systems in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Trump is still working towards ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has persisted for about three and a half years. He mentioned last week his intentions to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “in about two weeks.”
However, a White House official informed The Hill on Tuesday that Trump has no immediate plans to meet with Putin after speaking with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, claiming the call was “productive.”
“Thus, there isn’t a need for additional face-to-face discussions between the secretary and the foreign minister, and President Trump does not have any current plans to meet with President Putin,” the official stated.
