The Pentagon has told the White House that the transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine will not weaken US stockpiles, but the final political decision rests with President Donald Trump, CNN reports, citing informed sources; a number of international publications have already reprinted the material.
The Pentagon has assessed the possible supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine and concluded that a certain transfer would not have a critical negative impact on US war stocks. According to journalists, the Joint Chiefs of Staff informed the White House about this in early October, just before the meeting of the US and Ukrainian presidents in Washington.
However, the final decision rests with the president. During a working visit to Washington, Volodymyr Zelensky received a restrained reaction from Trump: during the public part, Trump spoke about a possible transfer, but then privately announced that he was not ready to provide the missiles at the moment. According to CNN, the US president's position changed after a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin; at the same time, the White House does not rule out that the issue may be activated again if Trump gives the appropriate order.
Experts and allies point to several practical and technical issues that must be resolved before delivery. First, Ukrainian forces must be trained to launch and use the Tomahawk; second, the Tomahawks are primarily sea-launched missiles, so using them from land would require either existing ground-based launchers that the United States could provide, or the development of Ukrainian solutions for ground-based launch. These issues are already being considered as options, according to sources, but they will take time and resources.
The political context is also important. The appearance of Tomahawks in the hands of Ukraine could significantly expand its capabilities to strike at the enemy’s critical infrastructure at long ranges — which is why Russia has repeatedly warned of a possible escalation in the event of the supply of such systems. In early October, the Kremlin already expressed concern, and President Putin warned of a “new level of escalation” if the US decides to transfer these missiles.
The Pentagon has reportedly calculated the size of the missiles and the pace of production and concluded that a limited transfer could be made without undermining U.S. Navy readiness. But part of the visual and political reaction depends on exactly how many missiles are transferred and how quickly. Some previous estimates have suggested that annual production of the Tomahawk is limited, so large-scale deliveries could be problematic—reports have cited production figures of a few dozen missiles per year.
According to available information, the administration has prepared operational plans in case Trump makes a positive decision: logistics of supply, options for transferring ground-based launchers, as well as a program for rapid training of Ukrainian units. But without political permission from the president, the transfer of weapons will not begin. At the same time, allies in Europe are relieved by the Pentagon's assessment - it removes one of the technical arguments against the transfer - and hope that the political support for the issue will also be worked out quickly.
