Report: Trump Has Approved Escalation in Ukraine Support

The US is set to provide Ukraine with intelligence for launching long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory, marking a significant escalation in support amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sources tell the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. The officials say President Trump has approved the move, and the administration has asked NATO allies to provide similar assistance to make it easier for Ukraine to hit infrastructure like oil refineries, power stations, and pipelines.

This is the first time US intelligence will directly support Ukrainian operations aimed at energy assets deep inside Russia. The intended effect is to sap the Kremlin's resources and disrupt its ability to fund and fuel the ongoing war. While the US has previously assisted Ukrainian attacks, this new level of intelligence-sharing could enable far more damaging strikes and force Russia to divert more air defenses away from the front, the Journal reports. Last week, in a major shift from earlier statements, Trump said he believed Ukraine could win back all the territory Russia has seized since the 2022 invasion.

The administration is also considering sending advanced missiles—including Tomahawks, which have a range of about 1,500 miles—though no final decision has been made, Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday. The sale of air-launched Extended Range Attack Munitions to Ukraine has already been approved. Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy to Ukraine, suggested Sunday that Trump had already approved long-range strikes, the BBC reports. "The answer is yes, use the ability to hit deep, there are no such things as sanctuaries," he said when asked if such strikes had been given the green light.

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European officials, particularly in Germany, have welcomed the development, emphasizing the strategic need for Ukraine to disrupt Russian supply lines. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov downplayed the reports on Thursday, saying the "supply and use of the entire infrastructure of NATO and the US to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukrainians is obvious," per the Guardian. On Wednesday, Russia's ambassador to the UN criticized Trump. "President Trump is a special kind of politician," Vassily Nebenzia said, per Reuters. "He likes quick fixes and this is a situation where quick fixes do not work."