US President Donald Trump ruled out supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles on 23 October 2025 at the White House, during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, arguing the weapons are "too complex" for Ukrainian forces to learn quickly and stating that US personnel would not train them.

This decision draws a clear line on the advanced weaponry America is willing to provide, with the President personally refuting "fake news" reports that he had authorized long-range strikes, even as NATO allies continue to fund other US arms for Kyiv.

“A year of intense training”

When asked about providing the advanced cruise missiles, President Trump detailed the logistical and training barriers, effectively taking them off the table.

"Well, the problem with the Tomahawk that a lot of people don't know, it'll take a minimum of six months, usually a year, to learn how to use them. They're highly complex," Trump said.

He explicitly stated that the US would not take on the training mission, calling it "too far out into the future." "It takes a year of intense training to learn how to use it. And we know how to use it. And we're not going to be teaching other people."

“We're not going to do that”

The President further argued that the missile's complexity means it could only be effective with direct US involvement—a step he is unwilling to take.

"So, the only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it. And we're not going to do that," he stated.

“Fake story” on strike permissions

President Trump also used the press availability to forcefully deny a recent Wall Street Journal report, which he claimed falsely stated he had given Ukraine permission to strike deep into Russia.

"It's a fake story. Yeah, it's fake. Wall Street Journal is fake," he said. "...it said that I gave Ukraine permission to shoot missiles deep into Russia. I didn't do that."

He drew a distinction between US-supplied weapons and those from other countries:

"Second of all, they're not using our missiles. They're using, I think, European missiles [which] are from someplace, but they're not using ours. And what they do, I don't control that, but I do control our missiles. They're not shooting our missiles."

Alliance position vs national decisions

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was present for the discussion, was also asked about Ukraine receiving Tomahawks. He deferred, stating the decision rests with individual members, not the alliance.

"When it comes to Tomahawks or whatever system, it's up to individual nations to decide whatever they want to supply to Ukraine. NATO doesn't take a position," Rutte said. "So I'm not going to comment on the Tomahawks..."