Pentagon Prepares Tomahawk Transfer Plan for Ukraine Amidst Trump’s Ultimatum to Russia

The U.S. Department of Defense has developed comprehensive plans to sell or transfer Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, according to a report by The New York Times. The revelation confirms that the Pentagon is now technically prepared to execute the transfer of the highly advanced, long-range weapons system, pending a final directive from President Donald Trump.
This contingency planning comes as President Trump prepares to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, using the specter of Tomahawk deployment as a key bargaining chip to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into ending the war.
The Game-Changing Arsenal
The Tomahawk is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile known for its precision and powerful 454 text{ kg} (1,000 text{ lb}) conventional warhead. Different variants have an operational range of up to 2,500 text{ kilometers} (1,550 text{ miles}).
◦ Strategic Impact: If supplied, the Tomahawk would provide Ukraine with a deep-strike capability far exceeding the range of weapons currently in its arsenal, such as the U.S.-supplied ATACMS (300 text{ km}) and the Anglo-French Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles (250 text{ km}). This range would allow Ukrainian forces to target military, logistics, air, and command centers deep inside Russian territory, including high-value targets in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
◦ Moscow’s Sanctuary Threatened: Military analysts, including the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), assess that the missile could be a “game-changer,” as it would eliminate the sanctuary Russia currently enjoys in its rear areas. The scale and accuracy of Tomahawk strikes would pose a new challenge to Russian air defenses, which have grown accustomed to dealing with less potent, indigenously developed Ukrainian drones.
The Tomahawk as a Political Tool
President Trump has openly and repeatedly floated the prospect of supplying Tomahawks as a lever to force a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, which he has made a major foreign policy objective.
◦ Conditional Ultimatum: The President has warned Moscow that he may issue an ultimatum to Putin: “If this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks.” This threat is intended to signal the cost of prolonged aggression and give Kyiv stronger leverage in future peace negotiations.
◦ Zelensky’s Appeal: Ukrainian President Zelensky has actively sought the Tomahawks, arguing that the threat of their use is the kind of pressure needed to bring Putin to the negotiating table. Zelensky’s visit this week to the White House is expected to center on securing a commitment for these missiles, with the understanding that they would only be used for military purposes and not against civilian targets in Russia.
Technical and Geopolitical Hurdles
Despite the Pentagon’s readiness, the transfer of Tomahawks remains technically difficult and politically fraught with risk:
◦ Launch Platform Challenge: Tomahawk missiles are primarily designed for launch from U.S. Navy warships and submarines. Ukraine currently lacks the necessary land or sea-based launchers to utilize the systems. The Pentagon’s plan likely addresses this by considering the transfer of ground-based launcher systems, a decision which itself marks a significant technological transfer.
◦ Escalation Risk: Russia has issued dire warnings against the transfer, with officials claiming it would mark a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” and lead to a direct confrontation, arguing that U.S. personnel would be required to operate the missiles. The Tomahawk’s dual-capable nature (conventional or nuclear payload) also increases the stakes, as Russia has stated it cannot distinguish between the two in flight.
◦ Inventory Constraints: Some defense analysts have questioned whether the U.S. can spare a significant number of the missiles, which are already committed to U.S. Navy operations and other military requirements globally. Reports suggest that initial transfers might be limited to 20 text{ to } 50 text{ units}, which some experts believe would only offer a symbolic signal rather than a decisive shift in battlefield dynamics.
Nevertheless, the formal contingency planning by the Pentagon confirms the President’s seriousness about deploying one of the most powerful weapons systems in the U.S. arsenal as a political instrument to compel an end to the protracted war in Ukraine.