Politico: U.S. May Refuse to Supply Germany With Tomahawk Missiles Over Fears of Russia

The United States is considering withholding the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany over concerns that the move could provoke a reaction from Russia.

According to Politico, citing two European officials and one U.S. official, Washington is concerned that supplying the missiles could escalate tensions and trigger retaliatory actions from Moscow.

U.S. officials are also reportedly concerned about the depletion of the Pentagon’s weapons stockpiles.

The possibility that Washington could withhold deliveries of Tomahawk cruise missiles is also causing concern among German officials.

German officials are now looking at European alternatives to close a critical gap in the country’s long-range precision-strike capabilities.

The discussion in Berlin is not focused on a particular weapons system, but rather on how quickly Germany can obtain a capability to strike targets at long range.

Options under consideration include purchasing an existing system, expanding production in cooperation with allies, or investing in long-term European defense projects.

Although drones and lower-cost systems could help bridge some of the gap, German defense planners do not see them as a viable replacement for Tomahawk-class cruise missiles.

Tomahawks for Germany

In early May, reports emerged that Germany was awaiting a U.S. response to its request to purchase Typhon ground-based missile launchers and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The proposed deal could include up to 400 Tomahawk Block Vb missiles, with an estimated value of more than €1 billion.

According to Politico, during the opening weeks of the conflict with Iran, the United States expended thousands of Tomahawk cruise missiles and interceptors for the Patriot air defense system. Last month, Pete Hegseth told Congress that replenishing the munitions used during the military operation would take “months and years.”

A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that U.S. defense contractors would need at least three years to rebuild stocks of three key weapons systems heavily used during the conflict with Iran: Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as interceptor missiles for the Patriot and THAAD air defense systems.