Volodymyr Zelensky requested 'Tomahawk' missiles at a closed meeting with Donald Trump, noting that long-range cruise missiles would help compel Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace agreement, writes The Telegraph citing sources. The request was made during a meeting of the two leaders, which took place as part of a UN session and was assessed as 'extremely positive'.
In an interview after the meeting, Zelensky said that Trump was understanding of his request for long-range cruise missiles, which would allow Kyiv to strike Moscow. With a range of up to 2,400 km and a warhead weighing 450 kg, this cruise missile is much more effective than any similar long-range weapon provided to Kyiv by Western allies. The Ukrainian president stated that the Ukrainian armed forces would consider targets such as the Kremlin if they receive this weapon.
Joe Biden rejected a similar request, which was part of the 'Victory Plan' presented by Zelensky at the end of Biden's term in the White House. The supply of long-range missiles was deemed too risky as they could strike targets in Moscow, potentially leading to an escalation of the conflict.
Separately, diplomatic sources told the publication that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European colleagues that the change in Trump's tone towards Ukraine should be viewed 'as positively as possible'.
Serhiy Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, stated that Kyiv's request was a logical next step after receiving weapons such as British Storm Shadow missiles. 'The logic is simple and clear. If Russia has long-range cruise missiles, then Ukraine should have similar capabilities to strike targets at the same depth', he said.