This Is Not the Time to Give Tomahawks to Ukraine

American Greatness ^ | October 17, 2025 | Fred Fleitz

[E. Pluribus Unum]

In response to Russian President Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire in the Ukraine War and his stubborn defiance of President Trump’s peace efforts, Ukraine wants the U.S. to give it Tomahawk cruise missiles. Ukraine’s rationale is that enabling it to go on the offensive against Russia with these advanced, long-range missiles might force Putin to agree to a ceasefire.

Providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine might be dangerously escalatory. Still, this proposal, coupled with the success of President Trump’s diplomacy to end the Israel-Hamas War, may have motivated Putin to agree yesterday to new rounds of high-level diplomacy with the U.S.

Ukrainian President Zelensky likely will still request Tomahawks during his meeting with President Trump at the White House on Friday, October 18. Trump indicated on Wednesday that he was open to this idea when he told reporters, “I might say, ‘Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send Tomahawks.’”

Trump is unlikely to agree to this when he meets with Zelensky today, as he had a positive phone call yesterday with Putin, during which the two presidents agreed to new high-level talks and a summit in Budapest.

The Tomahawk is a low-flying, difficult-to-intercept cruise missile with a range of about 1,500 miles. This would put Moscow (about 450 miles from Ukraine) and areas of Russia west of the Ural Mountains in range of Ukraine. This far exceeds the ranges of advanced U.S., French, and UK missiles provided to Ukraine, none of which exceed 350 miles. Ukraine also agreed to range limits for these missiles.

Although Ukraine has produced some long-range drones and cruise missiles with ranges of about 620 to 1,900 miles, the Tomahawk’s reliability, precision guidance, and capability to carry larger warheads would make it a much more effective and lethal...

[SpirituTuo]

Escalate? Good grief! The pearl-clutching author is afraid of what exactly? The Russians have already invaded, already struck purely civilian targets, already executed POWs, what else is left to do?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Escalate? Good grief! The pearl-clutching author is afraid of what exactly? The Russians have already invaded, already struck purely civilian targets, already executed POWs, what else is left to do?

You're one of those clowns who believe history begins on a day of your choosing, aren't ya?

[tumblindice]

“We”
Do you have a mouse in your pocket, Lennie?
Gimme that mouse, it ain’t fresh. Stop pickin’ up dead mice!

[T.B. Yoits]

Putin needs to witness payback.

Victoria Nuland and her U.S. State Department cohorts need to witness payback.

[T.B. Yoits]

...Russia is still fighting the last war. They may take Ukraine, but they may lose their society as it was.

Meanwhile, the United States and the Commonwealth Nations have already lost their societies to invaders.

[T.B. Yoits]

There would never be a time to send Tomahawks or long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Bingo. Tomahawks are nuclear capable missiles. Imagine the outrage if Putin sent nuclear capable missiles to Mexico, Cuba, or Minnesota/Somali Democrat politician Ilhan Omar.

[SpirituTuo]

What kind of non sequitur is that?

Do you really think Russia would be dumb enough to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine? Give me a break!

This is straight up Russian fear mongering.

[ETCM]

If Ukraine had them right this minute, it would probably take six months to design and fabricate launch platforms.

We're probably not going to send them at all, but obviously, we would provide a launch platform along with missiles. MK41 VLS modules are not particularly complex, nor is the support equipment. If I was tasked with rushing a system into Ukraine, it would be the recently canceled Long Range Strike system that the USMC bought, then decided it didn't make sense to have. For them, why drag a mobile system around the globe when you can simply call the USN and have aviation, a submarine or surface ship service the target?

So, at least half a dozen of these are available:

Alternatively, VLS cells can be placed in a shipping container and towed with a standard OTR semi truck. A 4 cell module fits in a standard 40' shipping container. But odds are pretty good that Ukraine will receive other weapons, but no Tomahawks.

[rlmorel]

I just want to be sure you know that I was not in any way saying we would give them the full rights to fabricate and assemble the missiles. Because I never even considered that, but I think that would be even more remote.

I made the assumption (and could be wrong) that we would manufacture them, ship them, and provide instructions on how to operate them. I had not even progressed to the point where I considered if that included the targeting intelligence data.

If we do that, we are fairly at war with Russia. I don’t think it is in anyone’s interests to end up there.

Not saying that is what you think...I’m just thinking aloud.

[rlmorel]

Argh. Sorry didn’t interpret your post right. You were referring to the delivery platforms, not the missile itself.

[Gen.Blather]

“Argh. Sorry didn’t interpret your post right. You were referring to the delivery platforms, not the missile itself.”

No problem.

In the 80’s I was a young engineer at Honeywell. NASA had just blown their second shuttle nose wheel and almost lost the vehicle. The pilot realized what had happened and his quick thinking saved the bird by keeping the wheel in the air until momentum made it drop.

NASA wanted to maintain its schedule and launch again in, if I recall, two weeks. They gave Honeywell a no bid contract to design, fabricate, test and install a steerable nose wheel in those two weeks. Honeywell had ninety-eight thousand employees with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers in the industry.

I was a small part of that effort. I did some calculations, but I also did the technical fetching and carrying. I saw what was involved in doing something “simple” in a short time. Honeywell was probably the only company on Earth who could have pulled off that task. Today I doubt they could do it even if there wasn’t a crunch as the company has changed so much. Not only did they design, fabricate, test and install with time to spare, but they delivered it with FULL DOCMENTATION! (If you haven’t worked in the industry, you probably won’t realize what a big deal that is.)

It was a huge lesson in what it takes to get something done. I seriously doubt that any company today could equal that effort. It was possible because there was such a deep bench and slack capacity. Honeywell carried their technical people sometimes for a year or more so as not to lose them. Nobody does that today. I’ve since worked for companies that will lay off priceless staff if they don’t have a contract within two weeks.

Ukraine obviously has huge technical capacity. But I’d be shocked if they could take on one additional task with a short time frame. Everyone is too busy fighting alligators to drain the swamp. Giving them a new device of any type without all the readymade logistics, support and training would be a huge disservice to them.

[ETCM]

I had not even progressed to the point where I considered if that included the targeting intelligence data.

If we provide the missiles, I am quite sure we will provide missions. I have no doubt our strike library already includes missions for any target Ukraine would consider. Those missions would be updated just before the strike based on current air defenses and other variables. Without well planned missions, TLAM strikes are unlikely to succeed, and that would hurt sales...

[tennmountainman]

By all means, Fight to the last Yookie Male.

[tennmountainman]

“Putin can take his savages home.”

Or Zelensky can push the “Savages” out of Yook Territory.

[Dat]

Maybe Putin should focus on pushing Azerbaijan out of Armenia. Russia promised to help defend Armenia, yet let Azerbaijan have its way with them.

[EC Washington]

Thank You - My Son is an Army Major - Assistant Battalion Commander - two tours in Iraq - None of these soldiers want any part of the Ukraine War - many of his fellow officers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan want no part of a combat tour without a clear purpose.

[rlmorel]

Right. I don’t think they would be usable in a constructive time frame (constructive for Ukraine, I mean) which is why I took it as him thinking aloud as he often seems to do, but...I think this time it was contrived.

He was just injecting something into the negotiations to shake things up.

[rlmorel]

Yes. I have long maintained that even with the very good and capable hardware put out by Russia and Communist China, I would still favor our forces, and what you posted points to it-it is the fine training our military gets.

Without that training, our occasionally inferior weapons systems wouldn’t perform well, but with that training, they can still prevail in a lot of situations.

The Ukrainians would not have that benefit. I don’t think they have the time, either. But Russia has its own issues to consider.

I just don’t think we should be there at all.

[ETCM]

He was just injecting something into the negotiations to shake things up.

Exactly. I suspect the intent was to persuade Putin to negotiate. And now it seems they are going to be meeting in Budapest in the coming weeks.

[Colorado Doug]

This is exactly the time to put Tomahawks on the table though