Aboard Air Force One (AP) — President donald trump On Sunday, Russia warned that it could send long-distance troops to Ukraine. tomahawk missile It suggests that Russia may be prepared to use major weapons systems to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin’s government if the war there is not resolved soon.
“I might say, ‘Look, if this war doesn’t get resolved, I’m going to send in the Tomahawks,'” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel. “The tomahawk is an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon. And to be honest, Russia doesn’t need one.”
“If the war isn’t decided, we might tell them we might do that,” Trump said. He added, “I might not do it, but I might do it. I think it’s appropriate to raise the issue.”
His comments came after Trump spoke by phone with the Ukrainian president early Sunday. Volodymyr Zelensky, President Trump said that during that conversation he mentioned the possibility of sending a Tomahawk.
President Trump said of Russia: “Do they want to move the Tomahawk in that direction? I don’t think so.” “I think we’ll talk to Russia about that,” he said, adding, “The tomahawk is another step in the invasion.”
his suggestion was followed Russia has attacked Ukraine’s power grid comes online at night, parts of it ongoing campaign Paralyze Ukraine’s energy infrastructure before winter. The Russian government also expressed “extreme concern” about the possibility of the United States supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
President Putin himself has previously suggested that the US supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage Russia-US relations.
Zelensky said his recent phone conversation with Trump was “very productive” and they discussed strengthening Ukraine’s “air defense, resilience and long-range capabilities” as well as “details related to the energy sector.”
President Trump has been significantly tougher on President Putin in recent weeks after the Russian leader refused to talk directly with President Zelenskiy about de-escalating hostilities.
Last month, President Trump announced that he now believes Ukraine could bounce back All territory lost to Russia – a dramatic change from repeated Republican policy ask Kyiv for concessions end Russia’s Ukraine war.
But the U.S. president, at least so far, has resisted Zelenskiy’s calls for a tomahawk. The weapons system would allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory and put the kind of pressure on Putin that Zelenskiy says is necessary to force Russia to seriously engage in peace talks.
“I really think President Putin would look great if he could solve this problem,” Trump said on Air Force One during the war, and if he didn’t, “that’s not good for him.”
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Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Aamer Madani contributed to this report from Washington.
