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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, made an unexpected shift in his policy regarding the war in Ukraine by authorizing the use of long-range missiles to target strategic objectives within Russian territory.
The decision, confirmed by statements from its vice president JD Vance and the special envoy Keith Kellogg, could mark a turning point in the conflict that has already lasted over three and a half years.
"There is a need to utilize the ability to strike deeply, there are no sanctuaries," stated Kellogg this Monday in an interview with Fox News.
His words confirmed what Vance had already hinted at: the White House is considering supplying Kyiv with Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of 2,500 kilometers, capable of posing a direct threat to Moscow and other Russian cities.
A 180-degree turn by Trump
The change is particularly striking because Trump had criticized in August the Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, going so far as to say he was "very angry" about the impact on the Druzhba pipeline.
However, in recent weeks the leader has hardened his rhetoric towards Vladimir Putin. “I am very dissatisfied with what Russia and President Putin are doing. They are killing people for no reason,” he said on September 25 in a press conference.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky formally requested the Tomahawk during a meeting with Trump at the United Nations General Assembly.
Although immediate delivery has not been confirmed, sources cited by BBC and CNN assert that the U.S. administration is considering selling the missiles to European allies so that they can transfer them to Kiev.
The strategic value of the Tomahawk
The Tomahawk missiles are precision weapons developed in the 1980s and first used in the Gulf War of 1991. Their ability to modify targets mid-flight and penetrate air defenses makes them a resource of high strategic value.
So far, only a handful of Washington's allied countries, such as the United Kingdom and Japan, have had access to them.
According to the analysis by Nick Paton Walsh for CNN, the supply of these missiles would represent “a drastic escalation of Ukraine’s capabilities,” posing a new challenge for Russian defenses and opening the possibility that key infrastructures in Moscow or St. Petersburg could become potential targets.
Reactions in Moscow and Kiev
The Kremlin reacted cautiously. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian government, downplayed the threat, stating that "there is no panacea that can change the situation on the front for the Kiev regime." However, Western analysts agree that the news increases both military and psychological pressure on Moscow.
From Kyiv, Deputy Minister of Defense Ivan Havryliuk stated to the BBC that the supply of long-range missiles would be crucial to compel Russia to come to the negotiating table. "If the cost of continuing the war for Moscow is too high, it will be forced to initiate peace talks," he said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, was even more emphatic at the Warsaw Security Forum. According to the agency Ukrinform, the chancellor stated this Monday: “There will be no safe place in Russian territory; our weapons will reach any military installation of the enemy”.
An escalating war
The U.S. decision comes at a time of escalation in the conflict. September saw a record number of Russian airstrikes against Ukraine, with over 5,600 drones and 187 missiles launched, according to data from the Kiev Air Force cited by .
The bombings left dozens dead and hundreds injured, while Ukraine's energy infrastructure continued to be one of the main targets.
Experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington warn that the war is in a prolonged attrition phase, where Moscow still believes it can endure despite its enormous military and economic losses.
"Western nations must act accordingly and invest in Ukraine's ability to project power into Russian territory through long-range strikes," stated a report signed this Tuesday by Max Bergmann and Maria Snegovay.
Uncertainty in the "final decision"
Even with the statements from Vance and Kellogg, the final word remains with Trump, who has shown in the past a tendency to curb measures that could lead to an uncontrollable escalation.
However, each new Russian attack against civilians in Ukraine and every violation of NATO airspace —such as those that recently occurred in Poland and Estonia— increases the pressure for Washington to finalize the shipment of advanced weaponry.
What seems clear is that the war has entered a new phase: with Ukraine increasingly capable of striking within Russia and with a Kremlin that, despite its defiant rhetoric, is facing growing military, economic, and social wear.
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