Volodymyr Zelenskyj is to meet with Donald Trump to ask for the weapon that could change war.

Now the American president is being warned not to give in.

According to a close ally of Putin, the decision would be a step towards total disaster.

Putin's great fear - at the top of Ukraine's wish list

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Russia has already hinted at what this could lead to.

Now Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus and Putin's close ally, is saying it outright.

“Leading to nuclear war”

– Tomahawks do not solve the problem. It would worsen the situation to a nuclear war, he said during a meeting in Minsk according to Newsweek.

The warning comes just a couple of days before the White House summit between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.

Ukraine has long wanted the Tomahawk cruise missile from the United States.

The so-called superweapon can strike far into Russian territory and would change the conditions for the war.

Terror weapon for Russia

The robot can travel more than 1,500 kilometers into Russia and has the explosive power to knock out strategically important military bases and factories.

Ukraine would need American assistance, including intelligence on attack targets inside Russia, to make full use of the weapon.

Trump has repeatedly used the weapon as a bargaining chip against Russia. On Sunday, he opened up about giving Zelensky the weapon if Putin does not agree to a peace deal.

– Yes, I might tell him that if the war doesn't end, we may very well do it. We may not, but we can do it. I think it's appropriate to bring it up. I want to end the war, the president said aboard Air Force One en route to Israel.

“Trump understands”

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov has called the issue "extremely worrying" and pointed out that some versions of the cruise missile can carry nuclear weapons.

– Just imagine: A long-range missile is launched and we know that it can have a nuclear bomb? What would Russia think? Exactly how should Russia react? Military experts on the other side of the Atlantic should understand that, Peskov said this weekend.

Aleksandr Lukashenko hopes that Trump will understand that – and resist Ukraine's request.

– Donald Trump possibly understands this better than anyone else because he has not been in a hurry to hand over the deadly weapon for attacks deep into Russia that Zelenskyy is counting on, he says according to Newsweek.

To be forced to the negotiating table

Zelenskyy hopes to persuade Trump to give in despite the dire threats from Russia and its allies.

“Right now it is important to signal that Ukraine will be strengthened in all possible ways. And this is one of these ways that is important to me – Tomahawks,” Zelenskyy said at a recent press conference.

– All of these things can strengthen Ukraine and force Russia to sober up a bit and sit down at the negotiating table.

Trump, for his part, believes that only the threat of the weapon can force Putin to negotiate.

"The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon. And frankly, Russia doesn't need it," the president said this weekend.