❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United States is assisting Ukraine in locating key Russian energy infrastructure and considering providing it with long-range weapons like Tomahawk and Barracuda cruise missiles.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent developments include meetings in New York and ongoing discussions involving the United States, Ukraine, and NATO allies.
💬KEY QUOTE: “If they [Russia] attack our energy, President Trump [supports] that we can answer on energy,” said President Zelensky.
🎯IMPACT: The policy shift marks a first in U.S. dealings with Ukraine, potentially escalating pressure on Russia to make peace.
The United States is taking a more aggressive stance in supporting Ukraine’s war effort against Russia with new intelligence-sharing efforts and potential long-range missile deliveries. The U.S. is now helping Ukraine identify key Russian energy infrastructure, including refineries and pipelines, which could become targets in future strikes. The goal is to undermine Moscow’s oil and gas sector, a major source of revenue for its military operations.
President Donald J. Trump is also reportedly considering providing Ukraine with Tomahawk and Barracuda cruise missiles, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy. Washington had previously avoided helping Ukraine carry out strikes deep inside Russian territory, especially on energy assets. The new approach signals a willingness to support more direct pressure on Russia’s economy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump in New York in recent days to request the missile systems. Zelensky said Trump backs Ukraine’s right to respond to Russian attacks on its own infrastructure. “If they attack our energy, President Trump [supports] that we can answer on energy,” Zelensky said.
Trump has voiced optimism about Ukraine’s ability to push back Russian forces if it receives enough international support. In a Truth Social post, he wrote, “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option. Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win.”
He also defended Ukraine’s right to strike inside Russia, stating, “It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense.”
However, Trump has made it clear that he will not commit American troops to Ukraine. In an interview, he ruled out U.S. boots on the ground under any future security agreement. “There’ll be some form of security… but it can’t be NATO,” he said.
Trump feels let down by Russian President Vladimir Putin since they met for peace talks in Alaska in August, believing the Kremlin supremo has not been making a serious effort to wind down the conflict. In late September, a senior Russian official issued a nuclear threat directed at the United States in response to U.S. support for Ukraine.
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