August M
Ukraine was closer than previously known to receiving Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to former U.S. ambassador William Taylor, who says the Pentagon had already completed planning and was awaiting final White House approval.
The decision, he claims, was reversed abruptly under former President Donald Trump.
The remarks shed new light on long-running questions about Washington’s internal deliberations over supplying long-range weapons to Kyiv.
Near-final preparations
Speaking to Germany’s n-tv, Taylor said the U.S. Department of Defense was fully prepared to dispatch Tomahawks to Ukraine. “The Pentagon… was ready to deliver Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Everyone was ready, they were just waiting for the president’s decision,” he told the broadcaster, as reported by WPtech.
His comments support earlier U.S. media reports suggesting that Trump halted the transfer after a conversation with Vladimir Putin, though the former president has not publicly addressed the specific allegation.
Missile capabilities
According to WP Tech, Tomahawks offer far greater range than the ATACMS and Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles already supplied to Ukraine.
The cruise missiles are roughly 6.3 metres long, weigh around 1,600 kilograms, and carry a 450-kilogram warhead. Their estimated range — classified but widely believed to be 1,500–2,000 kilometres — would enable Ukraine to hit strategic targets far beyond the front line.
Although not stealth-equipped, Tomahawks remain difficult to intercept thanks to low-altitude flight paths and the ability to manoeuvre around known air-defence positions.
Strategic crossroads
Taylor’s account portrays a moment in which the Pentagon stood poised to shift the battlefield landscape, only for political authority at the highest level to pull back.
For Ukrainian forces still seeking long-range precision options, the reported reversal underscores how decisions in Washington can shape opportunities on the ground.
Sources: WPtech, n-tv
