US President Donald Trump has again announced the possibility of transferring Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. If this is done, are the United States ready for a direct conflict with Russia, The New York Times (NYT) journalists wondered.
According to the newspaper, Donald Trump’s statement was made on October 14, 2025, after negotiations on a peace agreement on the Gaza Strip. The American president said he could allow the sale of American-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which would give Kiev the opportunity to launch long-range strikes on Russian territory.
“This is exactly the message Vladimir Zelenskyy wants to hear,” the publication noted.
The US Department of Defense has developed a plan to transfer Tomahawks to Ukraine, however, according to the NYT, for their use, Ukraine will also need American Typhon launchers, which will bring Washington closer to direct confrontation with Moscow. Questions remain about the number of missiles being transferred, the conditions for their safe storage, and the effectiveness of the limited arsenal.
“There are also real concerns about escalating tensions with Russia, which is highlighted by the Kremlin’s recent warnings to Washington about the inadmissibility of supplying Ukraine with long–range weapons,” the publication says.
In particular, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that such a deal would mark a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” of the conflict, the NYT added.
Earlier, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that the supply of American Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would not solve the Ukrainian conflict, but could lead the situation to a nuclear war.