Poll: Most GOP voters say U.S. should sell Tomahawks to Ukraine

A new survey of likely Republican voters shows that a majority supports President Trump selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, which would put Moscow well within range of strikes from Ukraine.

According to the poll conducted Oct. 7-13 by Public Opinion Strategies, 63% of Republican voters approve of the U.S. selling the cruise missiles to Ukraine, while 37% say no.

The Tomahawks have a range of about 1,000 miles, significantly greater than the American ATACMS and European Storm Shadow missiles Ukraine currently employs in its war against Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has requested Tomahawks from the U.S., saying they would put key Russian military installations within striking distance. That includes Russia’s Engels-2 air base, about 900 miles east of Kyiv, which has been used for launching attacks on Ukraine.

“Just look at how nervous, by the way, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin became when this topic came up,” Mr. Zelenskyy said last week during a European Council meeting. “He understands that long-range weapons can truly change the course of the war.”

Regarding other weapons, more than 90% of GOP voters say they’re concerned by the threat of Russia and China’s drones.

And 80% of those surveyed say the only way Mr. Putin will stop killing Ukrainian civilians and intimidating NATO allies is for the U.S. to “stand up” to him.

Tomahawk cruise missiles were most recently employed in Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear sites in June. Analysts say they would be a key munition in a future conflict with China and could be used against Venezuela if the Trump administration considers wider military action there.

“As Putin keeps bombing Ukrainian civilians and shuns President Trump’s diplomatic efforts, Republican voters want action,” said Steven Moore, founder of the Ukraine Freedom Project, which commissioned the survey. “They understand the Russian threat and strongly back sending Tomahawks to Ukraine to raise the cost of Putin’s war and push him to renegotiate. Supporting Ukraine is in America’s self-interest, and now it’s the Republican position.”

Mr. Trump has expressed hesitation about sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for several reasons, including concerns about diminishing U.S. stockpiles, the potential for escalating the conflict, and the extensive training required to operate the complex weapon systems.

The Republican voters also believe Mr. Putin bears chief responsibility for the inability of both sides in the conflict to reach a ceasefire agreement. He’s blamed by 64% of the voters compared with 13% who say Mr. Zelenskyy is at fault.