Trump asked Zelenskyy if he could strike Moscow as US mulls sending long-range weapons to Ukraine
President Donald Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy whether Kyiv could strike Moscow using US-supplied long-range missiles during a phone call on July 4. The question came just one day after Trump held a separate conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Donald Trump has reportedly urged Ukraine to intensify its military operations deep inside Russian territory, even raising the possibility of striking Moscow if provided with long-range weapons. The comments, made during a private call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 4, signal a sharp shift in Trump’s stance on the conflict and reflect growing frustration with Moscow's refusal to engage in peace talks.
Trump's conversation with Zelenskyy on attacking Russia
During the call with Zelenskyy, which came a day after a separate conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump pushed Ukraine to consider stronger military action, the Financial Times has reported. Trump asked whether Kyiv could hit Moscow if the US supplied long-range weaponry, such as the ATACMS missile system. Trump reportedly left the call with Putin disheartened, claiming the Russian leader showed no willingness to pursue a ceasefire, the report added.
Weapons redirected to NATO as Pentagon halts Ukraine supplies
The call coincides with a significant shift in US defence policy. With the Pentagon having paused military aid to Ukraine, Trump announced that billions of dollars' worth of American-made weapons would soon be directed to NATO allies instead. Standing beside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, “We are going to produce top-of-the-line weapons, and they will go to NATO,” underlining a reorientation of US military commitments.
Trump gives deadline to Russia amid ceasefire suspense
Expressing growing impatience with Russia’s stance, Trump issued a direct threat to Putin, vowing to impose 100 percent secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian exports unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days. The ultimatum, which marks a dramatic escalation in rhetoric, suggests a hardening of Trump’s position and contradicts his earlier pledges to steer the US away from foreign entanglements. The private call with Zelenskyy is now being viewed as a calculated move to pressure Moscow and reshape the dynamics of the ongoing war.