Donald Trump has warned Russia he may take a 'new step of aggression' in the form of hefty weapons if Vladimir Putin doesn't put an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The POTUS issued his latest threat to Russia while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday (October 12), while still reeling from losing out on the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump has previously claimed he deserved the award after putting an end to 'six wars', but his loss hasn't deterred him from trying to end another one.
As Russia continues its attacks, Trump warned the country that he could bolster Ukraine's defences with Tomahawks - American-made missiles which can launch from the ground, ships or submarines.
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The weapons are capable of striking targets precisely from more than 1,000 miles away, meaning Ukraine could use them to target Moscow.
Sharing his plan to try and end the war, Trump said: “I might say, ‘Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks’. The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that.
“I might tell them that if the war is not settled – that we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think it’s appropriate to bring up.”
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The president added that he had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about sending Tomahawks to his country; a claim Zelenskyy appeared to corroborate when he was asked on Fox News' The Sunday Briefing whether Trump had approved the Tomahawks.
The Ukrainian president said: "We work on it. I’m waiting for president to yes. Of course we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see.”
Back on Air Force One, Trump went on to discuss how the threat could encourage Russia to end the war.
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“Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” Trump said. “I think I might speak to Russia about that. Tomahawks are a new step of aggression.”
Despite Putin being the one to start the conflict in Ukraine, Trump said he thought the Russian leader would 'look great' if he got the war settled, noting that if not, 'it’s not going to be good for him'.
After Trump shared his ideas, Moscow expressed fears over the idea of Tomahawk missiles being provided to Ukraine, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying: "The topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern.”
Topics: Donald Trump, Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin
Emily Brown