Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
He’ll target Putin’s war chest instead.
US-President Donald Trump has declined to give Ukraine the long-range Tomahawk missiles it has been pleading for.
Speaking to reporters after scrapping a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said Kyiv was not ready to handle the sophisticated weapons.
“The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shoot it, and we’re not going to do that” he said according to New York Post.
He added, that it would take Ukraine at least six months to learn how to use them, Reuters reports.
Targets Putin’s wallet instead
The U.S. Treasury Department instead announced fresh sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an effort to choke off Moscow’s war funding
Officials said the move marked a significant shift for the administration, which has oscillated between punitive action and attempts to broker peace
“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
Earlier this week, The European Union approved its 19th package of sanctions against Moscow, including a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports, according to the Danish rotating presidency.
Summit put on ice
Trump had been expected to meet Putin this week, but abruptly called off the talks, saying “it didn’t feel right to me.”
The collapse of the summit reflected the cooling of ties between Washington and Moscow, even as the White House faces mounting domestic pressure to arm Ukraine more heavily.
For months, Trump has resisted bipartisan calls to expand lethal aid, hoping Russia might still agree to end hostilities.
Seeking China’s leverage
As he prepares for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, Trump said he hopes Xi can persuade Putin to halt the war.
China and Russia have strengthened their partnership, raising concerns among Western governments about their growing influence.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, meeting Trump in Washington, urged continued coordination on deterrence measures.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
