Zelenskyy views Tomahawk holdup as temporary setback
Volodymyr Zelensky called the issue of potentially supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk long-range missiles "very sensitive." (Photo: REUTERS/Ів Герман)
The issue of potential U.S. delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine is a "very delicate" one but it could follow the path of previous sanctions that once seemed impossible, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a briefing in Brussels on Oct. 23.
Zelenskyy thus commented on President Donald Trump's recent decision not to supply the missiles.
"I think you've heard about this from President Trump. It's a very delicate decision," he said. "But it's the same situation as with sanctions before."
Sanctions "seemed impossible," the Ukrainian leader added.
"Now we see decisions on these energy sanctions, which are very important," Zelenskyy said. "And so I think that in the long term, we'll have the same decision in the future on this issue too. But it depends on the American side."
On Oct. 23, Trump called supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles a "problem" because Ukrainian troops would need six to 12 months to learn to use them.
Trump's shift on Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
On Oct. 6, Trump said he had "practically decided" to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles but first wanted to clarify how Ukraine planned to use them.
The Kremlin said supplying Ukraine with U.S. Tomahawk missiles would be a "serious escalation" and threatened a "bad ending" for the United States.
On Oct. 13, Trump said he was considering warning Russian President Vladimir Putin about authorizing Tomahawk deliveries to Kyiv if the Ukraine war did not end.
On Oct. 16, Trump described a "productive" phone call with Putin and announced an in-person meeting with the Russian leader in Budapest. He later canceled the meeting.
The Washington Post reported that during the phone call, Putin demanded Ukraine cede full control of Donetsk Oblast as a condition for ending the war. Zelenskyy responded that "no one will sell off Ukraine."
After Trump's Oct. 17 meeting with Zelenskyy, media reported the U.S. president denied Ukraine the Tomahawk missiles. Zelenskyy said Trump neither fully agreed nor refused, and that long-range weapons for Ukraine would no longer be discussed publicly.
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