Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025 (Jae C. Hong/AP)
EA on TVP World: Will Trump Send Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine?
As Vladimir Putin pursues a meeting with Donald Trump next week — following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s lunch with Trump in the White House on Friday — I joined France 24 English’s Mark Owen on Thursday night to analyze the Kremlin’s motives in its 44 1/2-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
I explain that when Putin finally gave Trump a face-to-face meeting, in Alaska on August 15, it was to push back the threat of toughened US sanctions. This time, the Russian’s concern is the supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine for strikes inside Russia, as Moscow only makes small advances on the frontline.
In a war with multiple fronts, Ukraine is already causing serious damage to Russia with its own strikes.
The Tomahawks would add to that arsenal, as the attacks are constraining Russia’s ability to wage its invasion.
I deal with Putin’s “predictable” response that Russia will counter any Tomahawk deployment with an escalation of its attacks.
Asked by Owen about the prospect of a “peace deal” from a Putin-Trump encounter, I explain that the Kremlin has no interest in negotiations, only the seizure of more territory in Ukraine and Kyiv’s surrender.
I add that beyond Ukraine, Russia is pursuing its “hybrid war” in Europe with cyber-attacks, sabotage, disinformation, and drone and fighter jet incursions into the airspace of NATO countries.
Just as you have to defend Ukraine directly, you have to make sure NATO is resilient in the air, on the ground, in information operations, in cyber-operations — so the Russians don’t begin to split Europe at a time when its support of Ukraine is needed more than ever.
