The transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv would give Ukraine a vital new capability to strike back at Russia after years of relentless attacks, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor told Newsmax.
“The Russians have used their long-range weapons all over Ukraine,” Taylor told “Newsline” on Friday.
“What the Ukrainians have tried to do is hit back at military targets using their own weapons, going after refineries that fuel the war effort and that these Tomahawk missiles would be very useful in allowing the Ukrainians to hit back at the Russians.”
He noted that Moscow’s campaign of airstrikes has continued unabated.
“The Russians have been attacking them for 3 1/2 years, and now the Ukrainians have the opportunity, if President [Donald] Trump says yes, to be able to strike back,” Taylor said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with President Trump at the White House on Friday afternoon to discuss whether the U.S. will provide long-range missiles and weapons to assist Ukraine in its defense against Russia.
Taylor emphasized that the U.S.-made Tomahawks would allow Ukraine to maintain its disciplined focus on legitimate military objectives.
“The Tomahawk missiles are very precise. There is zero chance that an errant missile would go to the Kremlin,” he said.
“What we’re talking about here, and what the Ukrainians have been very careful to do, is attack military targets — only military targets,” he added. “Again, contrast this to what the Russians do.
“I mean, the Russians attack hospitals and schools, maternity hospitals. So, to their credit, the Ukrainians have only attacked military targets. And the Tomahawks are very precise. They will not go errant.”
Taylor also said Russian President Vladimir Putin appears increasingly nervous about U.S. support for Ukraine.
“Putin is worried. You remember that Putin, when President Trump put sanctions on one of Russia’s biggest purchasers of their oil — India — Putin panicked. He was spooked. He asked for a meeting. He got a meeting in Alaska,” Taylor recalled.
“This is the same thing now. President Putin sees that President Trump could well provide the Ukrainians with Tomahawk missiles. So, Putin gets on the phone — at his request, it’s very clear this phone call was at Putin’s request — and tries to talk President Trump out of that.”
Taylor concluded that Moscow’s reaction underscores how much pressure the U.S. can exert through a combination of sanctions and advanced weaponry.
“President Putin is worried about sanctions,” Taylor explained. “He’s worried about weapons, because he knows that will give President Trump leverage — pressure on President Putin to do what President Putin does not want to do, which is end this war.”
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