Zelensky asks Trump for Tomahawk missiles in secret meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Trump in a closed-door meeting this week to sell Kyiv Tomahawk missiles to heighten the pressure on Russia to end its bloody war, according to reports and The Post’s sources.

The long-range missiles have far more range than any other missiles sent so far by Western allies — and could be key in strongarming President Putin at the negotiating table.

“Sending even a single Tomahawk to Ukraine would scare the s–t out of the Russians more than almost anything else we could do,” a senior congressional aide told The Post.

Tomahawk missiles can fire between 700 and 1,500 miles, which would put the Kremlin within range of Ukraine’s reach.

Tomahawks would also dwarf that of ATACMS — the longest-range US weapons Ukraine has received so far, which fire as far as 190 miles.

Zelensky made the request in a behind-closed-doors meeting with Trump amid the annual United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, he revealed to Axios, though he did not reveal the type of weapon he asked for.

A source told the outlet that it was for the long-range missiles and that the US president was amenable to the request.

A source familiar with the Trump-Zelensky meeting also told The Post that the request was for a weapon that no one else in Europe currently has, which would fit the Tomahawk.

Zelensky noted that Ukraine might not even need to deploy the weapons if the request is fulfilled, but rather could be used to send a message to the flailing Russian army.

“By the way, we need it, but it doesn’t mean that we will use it. Because if we will have it, I think it’s additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak,” he told Axios.

Zelensky had made previous pleas to President Biden, but the previous administration shot down the requests over repeated fears of escalation.

It does not appear that Trump is hindered by the same anxiety, with the president becoming increasingly pro-Ukraine in recent weeks and has repeatedly called for Putin to bring an end to the warfare.

Earlier this week, he dramatically pronounced that Russia is a “paper tiger” based on new US intelligence that shows the Kremlin is spiraling toward economic ruin and battlefield defeat as a result of its invasion of Ukraine.