Ukraine’s Tomahawk missile talks with the U.S. spark Moscow’s warning of escalation as Zelenskyy reassures allies that strikes would focus strictly on military objectives.
In a fresh wave of diplomatic tension, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged that Tomahawk missiles, if supplied by the United States, will be used exclusively against Russian military targets. The statement, aired by Fox News on Sunday, came as Moscow warned that such a move could dangerously escalate the Russia–Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy’s remarks followed his “very productive” conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, in which they discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities. The two leaders have now spoken twice in as many days, highlighting Washington’s ongoing deliberation over whether to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawks — missiles that can reach targets up to 2,500km (1,550 miles) away.
Trump, speaking on Monday, said he would only approve the transfer if he was confident about Ukraine’s intended use, adding that he had “sort of made a decision” on the matter without elaborating further. Later, en route to Israel, he suggested he might tell Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would consider arming Kyiv if Moscow fails to end the war soon.
“They’d like to have Tomahawks. That’s a step up,” Trump told reporters. “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon; very offensive. And honestly, Russia does not need that.”
The Kremlin, however, reacted sharply. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the situation as one of “extreme concern”, warning that tensions were escalating “from all sides.” He emphasized that some Tomahawk versions can carry nuclear warheads, a fact Russia “has to bear in mind.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron joined the conversation, condemning Russia’s latest missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. After a call with Zelenskyy, Macron urged that the Ukraine war must also find an end, drawing a parallel with emerging peace efforts in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy responded by urging France to supply more missiles and air defence systems, warning that Russia was intensifying bombardments while the world’s focus was elsewhere.
“Russia is now taking advantage of the moment,” Zelenskyy said in a Facebook post, noting that attention is shifting toward the Gaza conflict and domestic issues worldwide.
Over the past week, Russia has launched more than 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and 1,360 glide bombs, according to Ukrainian officials. The attacks have severely damaged Ukraine’s power grid, injuring energy workers and causing widespread blackouts. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the latest wave of bombardments as “one of the largest concentrated strikes” on Ukraine’s infrastructure since the war began.
As winter approaches, Ukraine’s energy crisis deepens — and so does the global anxiety over whether the introduction of Tomahawk missiles could alter the course of a war that has already stretched global diplomacy to its limits.