President Donald Trump has privately urged Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to ramp up strikes on Russia territory and asked whether Ukraine could hit Moscow if the United States provided long-range weapons, according to a report Tuesday.
Trump asked Zelensky whether Ukraine could strike military targets deep within Russia if the United States were to supply offensive weapons, sources familiar with the July 4 phone call between the two presidents told the Financial Times. “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? … Can you hit St. Petersburg too?” Trump asked during the call. Zelensky replied, “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”
Trump expressed support for the proposal, saying the goal is to “make [Russians] feel the pain” and pressure Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire, according to the sources.
Trump on Monday announced his plan to provide Ukraine with “top-of-the-line” defensive weapons, including 17 U.S.-made Patriot missile systems, which NATO allies will pay for and deliver to Ukraine. The president also warned that, unless Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal within 50 days, he will impose 100 percent tariffs on Moscow’s trading partners.
The push marks a shift from Trump’s earlier pledge to supply only defensive weapons to Ukraine, reflecting his growing frustration with what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called a “lack of progress” on a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Trump has said that he is “disappointed” with Putin and that the Russian leader “talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening.”
Following the July 4 call, Zelensky received a list of long-range weapons that the United States could send to Ukraine through third-party transfers, three sources told the Financial Times.
