(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed calls for the US to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons capable of striking targets deep inside Russia.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump ruled out providing Tomahawk cruise missiles—which have a maximum range of around 2,500 km (1,550 miles)—following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite rejecting the missile request, Trump imposed sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, a move Zelensky praised in an interview with Axios, saying economic restrictions “will make a difference.”

Zelensky emphasized that sanctions alone are insufficient to deter Moscow. He argued that long-range missiles targeting Russian energy facilities are necessary to compel Putin to negotiate, noting that the munitions wouldn’t need to be used immediately. “President Trump is concerned about escalation. But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway,” Zelensky said.

Moscow has warned that supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine would severely undermine prospects for a peaceful settlement and could provoke a “very serious, if not downright staggering” response, with Putin asserting that Tomahawks cannot be used without direct involvement of US personnel.

Zelensky’s push reflects Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to secure more advanced weaponry from Washington amid the protracted conflict with Russia.

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