Trump Says He's 'Very Disappointed' With Putin As He Weighs Providing Ukraine With Tomahawks
US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on October 14.
US President Donald Trump again expressed his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's war in Ukraine as he prepared to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House later this week.
"I'm very disappointed, because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship. Probably still do," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I don't know why he continues with this war."
Trump said it is making Putin look “very bad” that he does not appear to want to end the conflict with Ukraine, adding, “He could end it. He could end it quickly."
Zelenskyy is expected to discuss Ukraine's air defense and long-range strike capabilities when he meets Trump on October 17 at the White House. The leaders spoke twice over the weekend amid intensifying discussions about a potential US decision to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv.
"He wants weapons. He would like to have Tomahawks," Trump said, referring to Zelenskyy in his comments to reporters on October 14.
Trump has not ruled out supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and can be equipped with nuclear warheads. The Kremlin has warned against supplying Kyiv with the weapon.
Here Is What Tomahawk Missiles Could Do For Ukraine
1/9An early iteration of the Tomahawk missile being tested over New Mexico in 1976.
The Tomahawk was developed in the 1970s amid Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union. The cruise missile is designed to fly long distances low enough to evade most radar while maintaining the speed of a passenger jet.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
2/9Combination photos show a Tomahawk detonating above a jet during testing in 1986.
The 5.5-meter-long missile is fitted with a warhead weighing nearly half a ton and can fly around 1,600 kilometers.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
3/9The Tomahawk's combination of range, speed, and destructive power makes the weapon unlike anything currently fielded by Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
4/9Each missile is equipped with complex internal navigation systems, and costs around $2 million.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
5/9A Tomahawk cruising alongside a US Navy F-14 above southern California in 2002.
Kyiv has repeatedly called for access to long-range US missiles. In 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hinted that Kyiv had requested Tomahawks. A White House official at the time reportedly called the request “totally unfeasible.”
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
6/9British Navy personnel handle a Tomahawk missile at a naval base in the Indian Ocean in November 2001.
US President Donald Trump has voiced increasing frustration with Moscow over faltering peace negotiations. The potential supply of Tomahawks was reportedly revived recently amid the White House seeking to make the Kremlin “feel the pain” of the war it started.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
7/9A submarine-launched Tomahawk hits a target on San Clemente Island, a US Navy training and weapons-testing site off the Southern California coast, during a test in November 1998.
During a phone call in early July, President Trumpreportedly asked Zelenskyy, “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? [...] Can you hit St. Petersburg too?” The Ukrainian president is reported to have replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” On October 6, Trump indicated he was close to making a decision on allowing Kyiv access to Tomahawks but told reporters he would "ask some questions," about Ukraine's plans for the weapon, adding "I'm not looking to escalate that war."
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
8/9A US Navy vessel launches a Tomahawk missile in the Mediterranean Sea in March 2011.
It is unclear how Ukraine would handle the weapon, which is usually launched from naval ships or submarines. Tomahawks can be launched from some aircraft but a Ukrainian official acknowledged to reporters that Tomahawks, “are not easy to use” without strategic bomber aircraft, which Kyiv does not possess.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
9/9US Typhon systems, which are capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Newly developed ground-launchers exist for Tomahawks, but the technology is currently only fielded by the United States. Ground-launch systems for the cruise missile began to be developed after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019. The US-Russia agreement banned ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
Previous slide
Next slide
Members of Ukraine’s government are already in Washington ahead of Zelenskyy’s arrival and they met with top US officials on October 14.
"At every meeting in Washington we raise the topic of defending Ukrainian energy and supporting our resilience over the winter and ways to defend it," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram.
She described the priorities of her visit as "energy, sanctions, and the development of cooperation with the USA in new ways that can strengthen both our countries."
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukrainian sovereignty and emphasized the United States’ dedication to securing a lasting, durable peace" according to a US Treasury Department statement.
Bessent also thanked Svyrydenko for supporting the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which the Ukrainian prime minister was instrumental in helping set up earlier this year as part of a deal to give Washington preferential access to Ukrainian minerals in exchange for investment.
Svyrydenko is accompanied by Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, and a team of officials from the government, central bank, and other bodies.
Their meetings in Washington took place as authorities in northeastern Ukraine ordered the evacuation of families from dozens of villages near the city of Kupyansk, citing the "worsening security situation."
Oleh Synyehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, said on Telegram that a total of 409 families with 601 children were told to leave 27 localities.
Another official in the affected area later told public broadcaster Suspilne that the list of localities had been expanded to 40.
RFE/RL journalists report the news in 24 languages in 18 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.
![A submarine-launched Tomahawk hits a target on San Clemente Island, a US Navy training and weapons-testing site off the Southern California coast, during a test in November 1998.<br><br>During a phone call in early July, President Trump<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b66f03b5-e295-4f8c-92ba-516a527d588c" class="wsw__a" dir="ltr"><strong>reportedly asked</strong></a> Zelenskyy, “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? [...] Can you hit St. Petersburg too?” The Ukrainian president is reported to have replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” On October 6, Trump indicated he was close to making a decision on allowing Kyiv access to Tomahawks but told reporters he would "ask some questions," about Ukraine's plans for the weapon, adding "I'm not looking to escalate that war."](https://gdb.rferl.org/a036e9d4-3ac5-4f2d-9386-08ddc37e21a1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
