Donald Trump basked in global acclaim after securing peace in the Middle East during a triumphant Israeli visit on Monday.
World leaders rallied behind Mr Trump at a follow-up summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, backing his bid to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. The US president is set to host Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday. The news emerges as Russia economy meltdown as crucial sector faces ‘once in 30 year crisis’.
But now sources told The Telegraph the American leader is gearing up to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles in a dramatic move aimed at forcing an end to the brutal war with Russia.
The pair will thrash out their “visions” for deploying the long-range Tomahawk missile to force Vladimir Putin into negotiations, according to Mr Zelensky.
“The main topics will be air defence and our long-range capabilities, to maintain pressure on Russia,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Mr Trump has dangled the prospect of shipping Tomahawks to Kyiv if Putin persists in blocking any prospect of peace negotiations.
The president has recently stepped up intelligence-sharing with Ukrainian forces to bolster their long-range attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, cranking up the heat on Russia’s faltering economy.
Middle East triumph fuels Ukraine peace hopes
Mr Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday to mark the freedom of 20 Israeli hostages under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire arrangement.
Following his declaration of enduring peace, he flew on to Egypt for talks with world leaders to formally sign off the opening phase of a White House agreement to conclude the Gaza war.
Addressing Israel’s parliament, Mr Trump revealed his intention to turn his focus towards negotiating an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
“It would be great if we could make a peace deal with [Iran]… First, we have to get Russia done,” he told the Knesset. “Let’s focus on Russia first.”
Trump claims eight conflicts resolved
Since the Gaza war wrapped up, Mr Trump has boasted of ending eight conflicts following his White House arrival in late January.
Yet a settlement to the three-and-a-half-year battle between Ukraine and Russia has proved elusive and continues to present challenges. Mr Trump has found it difficult to gain leverage in negotiations with Putin.
But his championing of the White House “peace through strength” doctrine in the Middle East on Monday has sparked fresh optimism.
Mr Zelensky said the US president’s Israel-Hamas deal “brings more hope” to other regions suffering from war.
“We are working so that the day of peace comes for Ukraine as well. Russian aggression remains the last global source of destabilisation, and if a ceasefire and peace have been achieved for the Middle East, the leadership and determination of global actors can certainly work for us, too,” the Ukrainian president wrote on social media.
Ukraine delegation launches Washington talks
His prime minister and top aide jetted to Washington on Monday to kick off “high-level talks to strengthen Ukraine’s defence, secure our energy resilience, and intensify sanctions pressure on the aggressor”.
With rumours swirling that Mr Trump might deliver Tomahawks to Ukraine, Mr Zelensky is poised to hand him an extensive list of Russian military sites that could be hit with the weapons.
Kyiv is banking on the weapon’s capability to cripple Moscow’s war machine by cutting off supply lines and obliterating missile and drone production facilities.
Tomahawks boast a striking distance of roughly 1,500 miles, placing such sites well within reach.
Mr Zelensky has previously insisted the missile would compel Putin to the negotiating table for ceasefire discussions.
Major escalation in US support
The provision of Tomahawks would represent a significant escalation in American backing and a toughening of Mr Trump’s position against Putin.
Mr Trump said sending the missile to Kyiv would mark a “new step of aggression”.
His predecessor, Joe Biden, had rebuffed Ukraine’s requests for Tomahawks.
“I might say, look, if this war’s not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,” Mr Trump said on Sunday on his flight to Israel.
“I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest with you, about Tomahawks. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so.”
Referring to Putin, Mr Trump said: “I might tell him that if the war is not settled, that we may very well do it.”
Trump’s frustration with Putin grows
Following the two leaders’ landmark Alaska meeting, Mr Trump has grown increasingly irritated with his Russian counterpart for stonewalling substantive negotiations with Kyiv.
Mr Trump’s warning came after telephone conversations between himself and Mr Zelensky, with the two leaders forging closer ties from the nadir of their public confrontation at the White House earlier this year.
Moscow has issued a stark warning to the White House against supplying Tomahawks, claiming the action would effectively destroy relations with Washington.
On Sunday, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the missiles were of “extreme concern” to Russia, adding: “Tensions are escalating from all sides.”
Moscow wouldn’t be able to determine if the missiles were fitted with nuclear warheads if they were fired at its territory, he claimed, asking: “Just how should Russia react?”
Putin and his senior officials have held back from openly attacking Mr Trump over the missiles in the hope they can still persuade him to abandon the plan.