Orpo called on Trump to allow Ukraine to use Tomahawk missiles against targets in Russia: "Putin believes only in power"
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called on US President Donald Trump to allow Ukraine to use American Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
He said this in an interview with Politico, according to Censor.NET.
Orpo stressed that Russia poses a constant threat to European security and that the West should provide Ukraine with the means to force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. "Putin believes only in power," the prime minister said.
He added that if the goal is to stop the war, it is necessary to be on the same level or even stronger. Orpo also noted that Finland has some influence over Trump thanks to personal contacts between politicians in the past.
The article also quotes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as saying that Putin allegedly showed willingness to make peace when Trump hinted at the possibility of allowing the use of Tomahawk missiles; after the missiles were excluded from the negotiations, the Kremlin allegedly abandoned its peace initiatives.
When asked whether Donald Trump should provide Ukraine with the desired missiles, Orpo replied: "I really hope that they can get the capabilities that they need to [counter]strike Russia and defend themselves. We know that this is a question between Zelenskyy and the United States and I really hope they can find a solution."
What preceded it?
Today, 23 October, US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine would not receive Tomahawk missiles because it would take at least six months to learn how to operate these long-range missiles.
Negotiations between Ukraine and the United States on the transfer of Tomahawk missiles
On 6 October, Trump stated that he had made a decision to supply Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to a certain extent, while emphasising that he did not want escalation and wanted to know the specific targets for their use and flight routes before making a final decision.
Earlier, US Vice President J. D. Vance confirmed that Washington was discussing the possibility of supplying Tomahawks, but that the final decision was up to Trump. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the presidents of Ukraine and the US touched on the issue of lifting the taboo on arms supplies.
On 8 October, Zelenskyy told reporters that during a meeting at the White House on 18 August, Trump did not refuse the request for Tomahawks. On 10 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if these missiles were supplied, Moscow would respond by strengthening its air defence system.
On 13 October, Trump said that the US could send Tomahawks to Ukraine if Putin refused to settle the conflict. On 16 October, the US and Russian presidents held a telephone conversation during which, according to Trump, Putin did not like the idea of supplying missiles.
On 17 October, during a meeting in Washington, Zelenskyy confirmed that Trump had not said a definite "no,’" but had not given a direct "yes" either. On 20 October, Zelenskyy noted that European leaders were considering asking Trump to allow Ukraine to use Tomahawks.
