Pentagon gives greenlight for US to provide Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine: report

The Pentagon has approved sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine — giving President Trump the final say on whether to arm Kyiv with them, according to a new report.

The Pentagon gave the White House the green light on Saturday after an assessment found that transferring the missiles would not impact US stockpiles, US and European officials told CNN.

Trump had previously said he would be hesitant to give “away things that we need to protect our country,” but the Pentagon’s assessment appears to clear away that hurdle for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded with Trump to provide Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, which could really hit Vladimir Putin where it hurts.

With a range of more than 1,500 miles, Tomahawk missiles would enable Ukraine to hit critical military, logistical and energy targets deep inside Russia, severely limiting Russia’s ability to continue his invasion, which is approaching its fourth year. 

The missiles were at the forefront of Trump’s meeting with Zelensky last month, with the president expressing his worries on providing the weapons at the cost of America’s defenses.

The US has more than 1,000 Tomahawks available, though some experts believe Washington wouldn’t sell more than 50 to Ukraine, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Pentagon had previously halted its shipment of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine in the summer over concerns that America’s own stockpile was being depleted.

Trump’s decision not to deploy Tomahawks last month also came just a day after he spoke with Putin over the phone, with Moscow repeatedly warning the US not to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles over the border.

Neither the Pentagon nor the White House immediately responded to The Post’s request for comment.

Ukraine has been asking for Tomahawks since the Biden administration, but Zelensky’s requests were repeatedly rebuffed over fears that the missiles would trigger an escalation in the war.

Trump has gone back-and-forth on ruling out Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, with the president’s most recent rejection coming on Oct. 22 when he argued that the long-range weapons are too complex for Kyiv to deploy without substantial US training. 

The uncertainty over the Tomahawks has recently led Ukrainians to seek comfort in tarot reading, with a recent livestream from Ukrainian influencer Tetya Fanya gaining traction as she asked if the US would ever provide the missiles.