On board Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked by a journalist on November 2 about the possibility of supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response, Trump clearly stated that this issue is not being considered at the moment. "No, actually no," he said, emphasizing his position.
Trump also mentioned his recent lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where he expressed a preference not to supply Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, as he believes they are necessary for the defense of the U.S. It is worth noting that, according to information from CNN, the Pentagon had given the green light for the supply of these missiles back in early October, assessing the level of stocks in the military. However, their transfer to Ukraine required only a political decision from the U.S. president.
Prospects for Ground Operations in Nigeria
Earlier, on November 1, Trump warned that he was ready to send U.S. forces to Nigeria if the killings of Christians continued there. In his message on the social network Truth Social, he stated that in this case, "the U.S. will immediately cease all aid and support to Nigeria," and "it is quite possible" that they will deploy their troops to fight against the Islamic terrorists committing these horrific crimes. Trump also added that he had already instructed the military department to prepare for potential actions.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded to these remarks, noting that "the killings of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and in any other country — must stop immediately." He emphasized that the Pentagon is preparing for action, and that protecting Christians is the responsibility of the Nigerian government, or the U.S. will be forced to act against the terrorists themselves.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, in turn, stated on the social network X on November 1 that "the characterization of Nigeria as an intolerant country does not reflect our reality." He added that freedom of religion and tolerance have always been core principles of their national identity.
[b]Escalation of the Situation in Nigeria
In northern Nigeria, the majority of the population practices Islam, while in the south, Christians are predominant, and both faiths are represented almost equally. In the northeast of the country, the terrorist group Boko Haram is active, whose violence has claimed more than 35,000 lives since 2009 and has led to over two million people becoming internally displaced.
In central Nigeria, conflicts between herders, mostly Muslims, and farmers, who are often Christians, occur regularly. However, as noted by AFP, these clashes are mainly related to the struggle for access to land resources.
