If delivered, they could give Kyiv the capability to strike deep inside Russia, potentially reaching Moscow.
The United States no longer provides military aid directly to Ukraine. Instead, under the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) program, European NATO allies purchase the equipment requested by Ukraine from Washington and then deliver the cargo to the Ukrainian military.
“Ukraine has raised Tomahawks with the U.S. several times over the past year, including in a list of hardware Kyiv requested several months ago,” Axios wrote.
“It was the only weapons system on the list that Trump did not agree to sell to NATO countries on Ukraine's behalf, according to a source with knowledge of that process.”
In an interview with The Axios Show, published on Sept. 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he asked for “an additional weapons system,” during his Sept. 24 meeting with Trump at the UN General Assembly. Citing an unnamed Ukrainian official and another informed source, the journalists later confirmed Zelenskyy was referring to Tomahawk missiles.
In the interview, the Ukrainian president suggested arming Ukraine with modern arms capable of striking deep into Russian territory could compel Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to negotiate.
“By the way, we need it, but it doesn't mean that we will use it. Because if we will have it, I think it's additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak,” Zelenskyy said at the time.
In July 2025, The Washington Post reported, citing a source, that Trump had considered transferring Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv. However, Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), told the Post that without strategic aircraft to launch them, deploying Tomahawks would pose serious challenges.