If Vladimir Putin doesn’t come to the table, Donald Trump says he’ll pull out the big guns for Ukraine
After being showered with praise in Israel as America’s “peace president”, Donald Trump has wasted little time in threatening to pull out the big guns with Putin.
After being showered with praise in Israel as America’s “peace president”, Donald Trump has wasted little time in pivoting to his next campaign promise.
Now boldly declaring the Gaza conflict “over” following last week’s long-awaited ceasefire deal and yesterday’s hostage exchange, the US president is now setting his sights on Ukraine.
And he’s quite literally pulling out the big guns for this one.
Speaking before the Israeli parliament, Trump applauded himself and mocked long-time critics who warned he would be remembered as a “president of war”. While Trump insisted he is quite the opposite, his latest strategy involves the implicit threat of more American firepower.
Questions on exactly how to tackle the now three-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine arose later that day at the 2025 Gaza peace summit in Egypt, with Trump nonchalantly throwing out that he “might tell” Putin he’ll give Zelensky some of the US military’s most feared toys if a deal isn’t signed soon.
Tomahawk missiles are now reportedly on the table. Developed in the 1980s by Raytheon, the Tomahawk is a feared long-range, subsonic cruise missile launched from ships or submarines that uses GPS guidance.
“Yeah, I might tell him (Putin), if the war is not settled, we may very well do it,” Trump said when pressed on whether he would supply Tomahawk missiles to Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We may not, but we may do it … do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so.”
Moscow was quick to push back once it became clear Kyiv might have Tomahawks pointed at high-value Russian targets.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev boldly warned it could trigger nuclear escalation, claiming it is “impossible to distinguish between Tomahawks carrying nuclear warheads and conventional ones after they are launched”.
“How should Russia respond? Exactly!” he fumed on Telegram.
The Kremlin has repeatedly made the same point, with Putin warning that Tomahawk deliveries would “destroy relations” between Washington and Moscow.
Medvedev added that he hoped Trump’s threat was “empty talk,” comparing it to the president’s earlier claim in August that he had ordered US nuclear submarines closer to Russia after one of Medvedev’s own fiery remarks.
Russia has danced on the delicate nuclear line for quite some time now, with state-sponsored media commentators regularly threatening the use of its arsenal.
But the rhetoric isn’t just limited to a few small-time shock jocks. The threats go all the way to the top of the food chain, with Putin warning his nuclear forces were “always” on alert, adding that Moscow would never tolerate any Western threats.
In a defiant speech on Red Square before thousands of soldiers for the annual Victory Day parade in 2024, Putin heaped praise on his army fighting in Ukraine and accused “Western elites” of fomenting conflicts around the world.
“Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash, but at the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always on alert,” Putin told the crowd.
“Russia is now going through a difficult, crucial period. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has predictably leaned into Trump’s offer.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he will meet the US leader in Washington on Friday, saying he plans to push for more air defence upgrades.
“The main focus of the visit is air defence and our long-range capabilities aimed at exerting pressure on Russia for the sake of peace,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
He pledged that Ukraine would use Tomahawks only for military purposes and “not attack civilians in Russia,” while also hinting that Kyiv had already provided Trump with a detailed request on how many missiles it wants.
As for actually reaching the coveted ceasefire deal, Trump has floated Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a potential key player.
“He’s respected by Russia,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “Ukraine — I can’t tell you about. But he is respected by Putin, and he’s a friend of mine. Yeah, Erdogan can [help].”
Originally published as If Vladimir Putin doesn’t come to the table, Donald Trump says he’ll pull out the big guns for Ukraine
