Zelenskyy asked US for long-range Tomahawk missiles in classified part of Victory Plan – NYT

The secret part of Ukraine's Victory Plan, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented to his allies in the West, proposes a "non-nuclear deterrence package." As part of this package, Ukraine would receive Tomahawk precision subsonic missiles, but the US government considers this request "completely unrealistic."

The New York Times writes about this, citing unnamed US officials. According to the article, published on October 29, privately, U.S. officials "expressed some irritation with Zelenskyy's victory plan," calling it unrealistic and in fact completely dependent on Western aid.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential military information, the article says.

According to them, in one part of the plan, which has not been made public, Zelenskyy proposed a "non-nuclear deterrence package" in which Ukraine would receive Tomahawk missiles.

A completely unrealistic request, a senior U.S. official told reporters.

"The Tomahawk has a range of 1,500 miles (2,400 km), more than seven times the range of the long-range ATACMS missile systems that Ukraine received this year.

And the US has sent only a limited number of such missiles, senior US officials told the newspaper.

In addition, they said, Ukraine also allegedly failed to provide convincing evidence to Washington about how it would use the long-range weapons.

The list of targets inside Russia far exceeds the number of missiles that the United States or any other ally could deliver without putting missiles destined for potential problems in the Middle East and Asia at risk, the officials added.

At the same time, four U.S. officials told The New York Times that Zelenskyy was stunned that President Joe Biden did not give him permission to use U.S. long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia when they met in Washington in September.

In the past, Biden has typically relented after initially denying Ukraine's requests for weapons such as Abrams tanks, F-16 fighter jets, and ATACMS missiles, the article says.

Zelenskyy's office confirmed that he was stunned. Zelenskyy's adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, said Ukraine had repeatedly explained why it needed to use long-range missiles.

"The Americans have all the details, the list of targets, and the arguments. Unfortunately, there is still no political decision to continue the work," he said.

As The New York Times writes, while Zelenskyy "continues to push his plan, the war is taking a heavy toll on both sides."

Russia is advancing in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's defenders, many of whom volunteered for the front after the Russian invasion in February 2022, are exhausted. There are not enough people willing to join the ranks. And the newly mobilized are "often older and poorly trained," the newspaper writes.

At the same time, Russia is "suffering huge losses in its ominous march forward."

U.S. officials have said that in September 2024, it lost more soldiers killed and wounded than in any other month of the war; U.S. and British military analysts estimate Russian losses at more than 1,200 per day.

It is widely believed that neither side is ready for formal talks. Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he is ready for talks, including last week when he said: "The ball is in their court," referring to Ukraine.

However, two former Russian officials who remain close to the Kremlin said they do not believe Putin will negotiate while Ukrainian troops are in the Kursk region.

As polls show that most Ukrainians still do not support giving up the territories, "Zelenskyy is trying to balance political pressure at home and the changing situation abroad," the newspaper writes.

According to analysts, the US presidential election on November 5 will largely determine the future of the war.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, and his running mate J.D. Vance have clearly expressed their skepticism about continued American support for Ukraine.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, has said she will continue to support Ukraine, but many experts say she may reconsider what kind of assistance the United States is willing to provide, the article says.

The newspaper also writes that after delays in military aid and the feeling that the allies are providing enough weapons to keep Ukraine from losing, a trend of blaming the West, not typical of the first year of the war, is gaining momentum among Ukrainians.

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany, Europe, and the United States have already spent about $220 billion on aid and military equipment for Ukraine.

On the front line, there is also a sense of frustration with the United States and its allies, the article says.

The UAV operator of the 57th Brigade of the Fregat Armed Forces told reporters that he would like to freeze the current front line because Ukrainians cannot defeat the Russians with shovels and machine guns alone.

He blamed the Europeans and America for not providing more precision weapons.

Volunteer Yevhen Tuzov, who is helping to evacuate people near Pokrovsk, said that the West simply wanted to weaken Russia, not help Ukraine win.

"Soon there may be no one left who can even use the weapons they give us because all our Western partners want is for us to fight to the last Ukrainian," he said.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on October 29, at a session of the Nordic Council in Iceland, Zelenskyy said that for many reasons, the war in Ukraine cannot end "just with silence at the front." He called on partners for unity and decisive action and emphasized the need to return deported and captured Ukrainians, as well as to restore justice for millions of people whose cities and villages were destroyed by Russian bombs.

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