VP Vance confirms administration is considering missile sale under European-funded policy; Russia warns of ‘interference.’
The White House is actively considering a request from Ukraine for long-range Tomahawk missiles, Vice President JD Vance confirmed Sunday, a move that would significantly expand Kyiv’s defense capabilities and bring Moscow within strike range.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Vice President Vance stated the administration is “certainly looking at a number of requests from the Europeans” and that the decision aligns with President Trump’s policy of pressuring NATO allies to contribute substantially to Ukraine’s defense.
“What we’re doing is asking the Europeans to buy that weaponry that shows some European skin in the game,” Vance said. “I think that gets them really invested in both what’s happening in their own backyard, but also in the peace process that the president has been pushing for.”
The request for the U.S.-made missiles, which boast a range of approximately 1,500 miles, was reportedly made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to President Trump during their bilateral meeting at last week’s U.N. General Assembly. The potential sale would be structured under a policy implemented in August, where European NATO countries would purchase the weapons for Ukraine.
The prospect of transferring the powerful cruise missiles has drawn a sharp reaction from Moscow. On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov implied direct U.S. interference in the conflict.
“Moscow has heard Washington’s statements about possible Tomahawk deliveries to Ukraine and is carefully analyzing them,” Peskov said. “It is important to understand who will be directing and launching the Tomahawk missiles from Ukrainian territory — the Americans or the Ukrainians themselves.”
The discussion of long-range capabilities comes amid a major surge in Russian aerial attacks. On Sunday morning, Russia fired more than 600 drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine, marking one of the largest barrages since 2022 and killing four people.
In support of giving Ukraine deeper strike capabilities, U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg told Fox News that same day that “there are no such things as sanctuaries” in war, and that Ukraine should be enabled to conduct long-range strikes on Russian targets.
The potential sale also reflects a shift in President Trump’s rhetoric regarding the war. Last week, the president used his Truth Social platform to express frustration with Russia’s failure to negotiate a peace deal, calling the country a “paper tiger” and offering encouragement to Kyiv.
“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote on Tuesday. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”
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