As the war in Ukraine grinds on with little sign of resolution, tensions between Washington and Moscow have reached a new high. On October 12, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Russia: settle the war soon or face the possibility of the United States supplying long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. This threat, delivered to reporters aboard Air Force One, marks a significant escalation in rhetoric and potential military involvement by the United States.
"I might say, 'Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks.' The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that," Trump said, according to the Associated Press. He added, “I think it’s appropriate to bring up.” The U.S. president’s comments came on the heels of a major Russian attack on Ukraine’s power grid, part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before the harsh winter sets in.
Trump revealed that he had discussed the possibility of sending Tomahawk missiles directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” Trump said of Russia. “I think I might speak to Russia about that. Tomahawks are a new step of aggression.” He also suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin could improve his own standing by seeking a settlement: “I really think Putin would look great if he got this settled. It’s not going to be good for him if not.”
For Ukraine, the potential delivery of Tomahawk missiles represents a game-changing prospect. In an interview with Fox News Channel’s The Sunday Briefing, Zelensky described his latest call with Trump as “very productive,” highlighting discussions on strengthening Ukraine's “air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities,” as well as “details related to the energy sector.” When asked whether Trump had approved the Tomahawks, Zelensky replied, “we work on it,” adding, “Of course we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see.”
The Ukrainian leader has been in talks with U.S. officials about the possible provision of various long-range precision strike weapons, including Tomahawks and more ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. Such weaponry would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory, a move that Zelensky argues is necessary to pressure Russia into serious peace negotiations. Trump, however, has so far resisted these requests, wary of escalating the conflict further.
Moscow’s reaction to Trump’s remarks was swift and severe. The Kremlin expressed “extreme concern” over the potential supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television, “the topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern,” noting that “tensions are escalating from all sides.” Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev went further, warning that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine “could end badly for everyone, especially US president Donald Trump.” Medvedev emphasized that it is impossible to distinguish between Tomahawk missiles carrying nuclear or conventional warheads after launch, a point also made by Putin’s spokesman, hinting that Moscow’s response could be nuclear. “How should Russia respond? Exactly!” Medvedev wrote cryptically on Telegram.
While the missile debate rages, the war on the ground continues unabated. On October 13, the Russian defense ministry announced the capture of the villages of Borivska Andriyivka in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and Kulykivske in Donetsk. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s power grid has been repeatedly targeted by Russian strikes, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity and injuring civilians. According to Ukraine’s energy ministry, infrastructure was attacked in the regions of Donetsk, Odesa, and Chernihiv. Zelensky stated that Russia had launched “more than 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and around 1,360 glide bombs” against Ukraine in the past week alone, intensifying strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure.
There are signs that the United States is already playing a more active role in supporting Ukraine’s military efforts. The Financial Times reported that U.S. intelligence has been assisting Ukraine in planning and executing long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries far beyond the front line. American officials have provided Kyiv with critical information on flight paths, altitude, timing, and mission decisions, enabling Ukrainian drones to evade Russian air defenses and hit key targets. This marks a notable shift from previous U.S. policy, which had discouraged such deep strikes out of concern for escalating the conflict with Moscow.
Internationally, the situation is drawing in other major players. Germany’s top spy, Martin Jaeger, warned that Russia “would not shy away from a military attack against a NATO member state,” urging European countries not to underestimate the risk of escalation. France’s President Emmanuel Macron condemned Russian strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure and called for continued sanctions and pressure to bring Russia to the negotiating table.
In the background, other diplomatic efforts are underway. First Lady Melania Trump announced on October 10 that eight Ukrainian children kidnapped and held in Russia had been returned to Ukraine following back-channel negotiations with Putin’s team. She described these efforts as an “ongoing mission” and emphasized the importance of reuniting all children separated by the war with their families. “Moving forward, I will be working to optimize a transparent free-flow exchange of health-related information surrounding all children who have fallen victim to this war, and to facilitate the regular communication of children with their families until each individual returns home,” Melania Trump said, as reported by The Independent.
On the economic front, India has emerged as a significant supplier of fuel additives for Russian fighter jets, according to a Kyiv-based think tank. More than half a dozen Indian companies were found to have supplied nearly half of Russia’s imported fuel additives in 2024, enhancing the capabilities of Russian military aircraft used in strikes against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll of the war continues to mount. Hosts of Ukrainian refugees in the UK have voiced frustration over “endless bureaucracy” and “horrendous” support from the Home Office, with thousands still stuck in limbo more than three years after the invasion began. These stories underscore the far-reaching impact of the conflict, touching lives far beyond the battlefield.
With both sides digging in and the prospect of U.S. long-range missiles entering the fray, the war in Ukraine appears poised for a potentially dangerous new chapter—one that could have global repercussions unless a diplomatic breakthrough is achieved soon.