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Pentagon Reportedly Approves Potential Tomahawk Missile Transfer to Ukraine Pending Trump’s Decision

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Cyril Barabaltchouk
News Writer
Pentagon Reportedly Approves Potential Tomahawk Missile Transfer to Ukraine Pending Trump’s Decision
In this handout provided by the US Navy, the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter fires a Tomahawk land attack missile on April 7, 2017 in the Mediterranean Sea. (Source: Getty Images)

The Pentagon has approved the potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, concluding that doing so would not diminish US stockpiles. The final decision now rests with US President Donald Trump, CNN reported, citing American and European officials on October 31.

Trump, who earlier told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House that he was reluctant to provide the missiles because “we don’t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country,” has not ruled out the transfer entirely.

The Pentagon’s analysis—completed before that meeting—found no logistical or supply obstacles, raising hopes among European allies that Washington might soon approve the delivery, CNN wrote.

The decision followed a phone call between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during which Putin warned that Tomahawks, with their roughly 1,000-mile range, could reach Moscow and St. Petersburg, potentially escalating tensions without changing battlefield dynamics.

Defense officials are still considering how Ukraine would deploy the missiles, which are typically launched from ships or submarines.

Ground-based systems adapted by the US Army and Marine Corps could be supplied instead, and European officials noted that Ukrainian engineers have previously managed similar integrations, such as adapting British Storm Shadow missiles for Soviet-era aircraft, according to CNN.

Zelenskyy recently reiterated his goal to expand Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities by year’s end, saying on X that “global sanctions and our pinpoint precision are syncing up to end this war on fair terms for Ukraine.”

Previously, it was reported that, speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters the US has “the greatest nuclear submarine in the world” stationed near Russia—and said Putin should end the war in Ukraine instead of testing missiles.

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