Zelensky Asks Trump For Tomahawk Missiles Capable Of Hitting Moscow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed in an interview with Axios that he asked President Trump on Tuesday to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, which would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deep into Russia, even as far away as Moscow.

Zelensky made the dubious argument that this would force President Putin to the negotiating table to make significant compromise and end the war. Zelensky suggested that the Ukrainians might not even have to use the Tomahawks it was given, only that the threat alone could be enough to scare Putin.

The Ukrainian leader was responding to a question on „The Axios Show” on his view of the one thing Trump could do to allow Kiev to win the war. Zelensky responded: „I think President Trump knows.” He then said he conveyed „what we need” is „one thing.”

American Tomahawk missile, AP

„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,” he continued, alluding to a long-range, precision-guided US missile.

Axios on Friday followed by publishing the following commentary:

Zelensky did not name that weapons system during his interview with Axios’ Barak Ravid, but he said that if Russia knew Ukraine had it, the pressure to talk would greatly increase.

A Ukrainian official and another source familiar with the Trump-Zelensky meeting confirmed it was the Tomahawk — a long-range, precision-guided missile.

If it happens, the Tomahawk would become by far the longest missile in the Ukraine’s arsenal. It can travel over 1,000 miles, compared to the nearly 200 miles of US-made ATACMS, the latter which has already been provided.

The Telegraph reviews:

Joe Biden, the former US president, rebuffed a similar request, which came as part of a 10-point “Victory Plan” presented by Mr Zelensky at the end of Mr Biden’s tenure in the White House.

The provision of the long-range missile was deemed too risky because it would be able to strike targets in Moscow and would be likely to be able to evade Russia’s most advanced air-defense systems, potentially escalating the conflict.

But in a sign of growing confidence for a more positive decision, Mr Zelensky told the Axios news agency that, during their meeting earlier this week, Mr Trump had said “we will work on it”.

Zelensky had also told Axios that Russian officials „have to know where their bomb shelters are,” adding: „If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sends a warning to Russian officials on The Axios Show in an interview w/ @BarakRavid:

„They have to know where their bomb shelters are. They need it. If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case.” pic.twitter.com/NKhlCN4Lrb

— Axios (@axios) September 25, 2025

The Wall Street Journal is reporting in follow-up that Trump is 'open’ to the idea, but it’s anything but clear whether this is an accurate assessment of how Trump views it:

President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he was open to lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American-made long-range weapons to strike inside Russia, but he didn’t commit to doing so during a meeting Tuesday, according to a senior U.S. official and a Ukrainian official.

During the sideline discussion at the United Nations, Zelensky asked Trump for more long-range missiles and approval to use such weapons to strike targets on sovereign Russian territory. Trump replied that he didn’t oppose the idea, though both officials said the president didn’t make any commitments to reverse a U.S. ban on such attacks.

It seems he’s already previewing what he intends to do with long-range missiles if he receives them: attack Moscow and government buildings. This would likely be the very thing that sparks WW3, and Trump would be wise to stay far away from sending Tomahawks or any other long-range system.