Trump’s sharp turn: US ready to give Ukraine new weapons against Russia

The Trump administration is planning to provide Ukraine with additional intelligence to help it strike Russian oil and gas facilities, the first such expansion since Trump returned to the White House. The president’s rhetoric toward Moscow has shifted sharply in the past month, calling Russia a “paper tiger” incapable of defeating its smaller neighbor.

NBC News reported on the administration’s plans, citing several informed sources.

Previously, intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine was even suspended for a week after Trump’s public conflict with Zelensky in the Oval Office, which caused concern in Kyiv and its European allies.

Analysts say Ukraine is already using drones and missiles to strike pipelines and refineries deep inside Russia, and the new intelligence will make those attacks even more effective. Kyiv is also hoping to secure supplies of long-range American missiles, including Tomahawks.

The Kremlin warns that “any Tomahawk deliveries will mean a new, serious escalation of tensions, which will require an adequate response from the Russian side.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, warned the US administration: “Can Tomahawks harm us? They can. We will shoot them down and improve our air defense systems.”

He also stressed that the use of these missiles “is impossible without the direct participation of American military personnel” and this would mean “a qualitatively new stage of escalation.”

Recall that President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a closed conversation with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly , allegedly asked the US for long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.

As reported, US Vice President J.D. Vance said that discussions are ongoing in Washington regarding the possible supply of Tomahawk precision cruise missiles to Ukraine , but the final decision on this issue depends on President Donald Trump.

Moscow later announced that it was analyzing reports of possible supplies of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.

By the way, Special Representative Keith Kellogg clarified that his words about the possibility of transferring Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine do not reflect Washington’s internal decisions . According to him, he only referred to public statements, and the final decision can only be made by US President Donald Trump.