Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday used the recent Israel-Hamas peace agreement as a backdrop to reiterate his urgent request for long-range US-made weapons, such as Tomahawk cruise missiles, vowing to only deploy them against Russian military targets.
The Ukrainian leader’s latest appeal to US President Donald Trump, made following a phone call between the two leaders, highlights Kyiv’s ongoing strategy to pressure Moscow into peace talks. The request for the potent Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of over 1,500 miles, has been a key point of discussion for weeks.
Appearing on “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News, President Zelenskyy acknowledged that the war in Ukraine presents a greater challenge than the Middle East conflict, but expressed optimism drawn from the Gaza ceasefire.
“It is important that the prospect of establishing lasting peace in the Middle East is drawing closer to being realised,” Zelenskyy said. “If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well—including the Russian war.”
However, the Ukrainian President stressed that this requires more forceful action against Moscow. “[‘Russian tyrant Vladimir] Putin really doesn’t want [to end the war] and he doesn’t feel full pressure on him,” he said. “We need two things, I think, to make real pressure on Putin… we need real air defense. And the second point is to have long weapons, long-distance capabilities.”
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Addressing the critical concern that supplying Tomahawks could dramatically escalate tensions with Russia, Zelenskyy offered an explicit pledge to his American counterpart.
“It’s only military goals,” he emphasized regarding the use of the missiles. “Even with all this pain of losses… we never attack their civilians. This is the big difference between Ukraine and Russia.”
If approved, the long-range missiles would allow Ukraine to strike deep within Russian territory, hitting key military assets, logistics hubs, and airfields that power Moscow’s war machine. Ukrainian officials believe this capacity would force Russia to divert air defense systems from the front lines, making other Ukrainian strikes more effective.
The Kremlin has voiced “extreme concern” about the prospect of Tomahawk delivery, with Russian officials warning of a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” and potential retaliation against the US.
For his part, President Trump has kept a cautious stance despite recently changing his rhetoric on the war and suggesting Ukraine could win back all its territory. When questioned about the Tomahawks last week, Trump voiced reservations: “I think I want to find out what they’re doing with them… Where are they sending them? I guess I’d have to ask that question. I’m not looking to escalate that war.”
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Despite the mixed signals and the difficult nature of fighting what Zelenskyy described as a coalition of Russian, Iranian, and North Korean resources, the Ukrainian leader remains hopeful that the diplomatic momentum from the Middle East, coupled with increased military pressure, can finally push President Putin toward a genuine peace settlement.
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