Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with former President Donald Trump at the White House. The discussions are expected to focus on the potential supply of U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine amid ongoing tensions with Russia. Trump indicated that he might consider sending the long-range missiles if Russia does not engage in peace talks. "I might say, 'Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks,'" Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The Tomahawk missile has a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, allowing it to strike targets deep within Russia, including Moscow. This capability raises concerns for the Kremlin, which warned that supplying these missiles would represent a "new step of aggression" and could escalate the conflict significantly. On the eve of his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump announced a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who expressed willingness to meet to discuss the war. The Kremlin stated that selling Tomahawks to Ukraine would severely damage U.S.-Russia relations and jeopardize peace efforts.

The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile is a key weapon sought by Ukraine, as it would enhance Kyiv's ability to conduct precision strikes. The U.S. previously allowed Ukraine to use long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against targets in Russia, which have a range of about 300 kilometers. Analysts estimate that a 2,500-kilometer variant of the Tomahawk could reach approximately 1,900 Russian military targets, while a 1,600-kilometer variant could hit around 1,655 key sites, including factories producing drones used against Ukraine.

In recent months, Ukrainian forces have relied on long-range drones to strike targets within Russia, including oil refineries. Over the weekend, Ukraine reported drone strikes on the Bashneft oil refinery, located 1,400 kilometers beyond the front line. While these strikes have caused damage, experts note that drones alone cannot effectively destroy critical military assets. The Institute for the Study of War stated, "Ukrainian forces are able to conduct long-range drone strikes against a significant portion of Russia's rear, but the payloads on these drones are limited and not suitable to destroy specialized objects."

Ukraine has also been developing its own long-range missiles, such as the Neptune and the Flamingo, but production and supply issues remain. Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton highlighted the challenges, stating, "They don't have enough of those weapons and sometimes the accuracy of those weapons can be thrown off by things like jamming."

Experts have mixed opinions on the potential impact of Tomahawk missiles. Marcus Hellyer, head of research at a defense think tank, expressed skepticism about their effectiveness, saying, "There is this sort of weird obsession with the Tomahawk. I'm not sure it is necessarily that deserved nowadays." He noted that while Tomahawks have better range and precision, they are based on older technology and may not be as effective against modern air defense systems.

Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow, agreed that while Tomahawks could pressure Russia's air defenses, they are not a "magic bullet". He pointed out that Russia possesses advanced air defense systems capable of intercepting such missiles. Hellyer added that for Tomahawks to make a significant impact, the U.S. would need to supply Ukraine with a large quantity of them, as their warheads are not particularly large.

As discussions about Tomahawks continue, Russia has issued warnings. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the prospect of supplying these missiles is causing "extreme concern" in Moscow. Putin previously claimed that using Tomahawks would require direct U.S. military involvement, which would escalate the conflict to a new level.

Despite the threats, Hellyer believes the situation will not change significantly with the introduction of Tomahawks, describing the rhetoric as "a lot of bluster." Trump mentioned that Putin did not respond favorably to the idea of supplying Ukraine with the missiles during their call. He later expressed uncertainty about providing the missiles, citing the need to maintain U.S. stockpiles.

Zelenskyy, who is expected to meet Trump in Washington, has linked the urgency of dialogue from Moscow to the potential supply of Tomahawks, stating, "We can already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks."