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Two top US officials have indicated that the United States may provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles and allow deeper strikes into Russian territory.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Since the war in Ukraine broke out, the United States has slowly evolved its position on allowing Ukraine’s military access to long-range weapon systems. Early in the conflict, the Biden administration imposed strict limits on the use of US-supplied weapons, largely due to threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned that enabling strikes deep into Russian territory would cross a “red line” and could trigger a direct confrontation between Russia and the United States. Putin’s rhetoric included repeated insinuations that such actions would escalate the war beyond Ukraine’s borders, potentially drawing the US into open conflict. These warnings were taken seriously by the US, which feared that supplying long-range strike capabilities (such as ATACMS or Tomahawks) could lead to uncontrollable escalation. However, as the war dragged on and Russia continued its widespread aerial attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians, the Biden administration began gradually lifting restrictions. By late 2024, it had approved limited Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory using certain US-made systems.

What’s going on now: During an interview on Fox News, Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed that the US was actively considering Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles. The Tomahawk, with a range of up to 1,550 miles, could reach virtually any high-value target in Russia, including Moscow. While Vance stopped short of endorsing the transfer outright, he acknowledged the seriousness of the discussions underway and said that the decision would ultimately rest with President Trump.

Senator Husted stressed the risks associated with DeepSeek, warning that it is a “tool that perpetuates Communist China’s agenda—full stop. It exposes Americans’ data to our adversary’s government, lies to its users, and exploits American workers’ AI advances.” Senator Rosen echoed these concerns, calling for the need for proactive measures, saying, “As the artificial intelligence landscape continues to rapidly expand, the US must take steps to ensure Americans’ data and government systems remain protected against platforms—like DeepSeek—that are linked to our adversaries.”

This all comes as Texas and New York have already taken action to ban DeepSeek from government devices, citing national security and data privacy concerns. Back in December, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state agencies and government employees not to download or install DeepSeek. Similarly, New York officials announced a statewide ban earlier this month over concerns it could be used for data collection by the Chinese Communist Party.