President Donald Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy why Ukraine hadn’t struck Moscow and suggested the country should increase pressure on Vladimir Putin by targeting both the Russian capital and St. Petersburg, the Washington Post reported on 15 July.
The exchange occurred during a conversation last week between the two leaders, according to a source cited by the newspaper. When Trump questioned why Ukraine hadn’t hit Moscow, Zelenskyy responded: “We can if you give us the weapons.”
“Trump said Ukraine needed to put more pressure on Putin, not just Moscow but St. Petersburg, too,” the Washington Post reported, citing a source familiar with the discussion.
The revelation comes as Trump announced a new military assistance package for Ukraine totaling $10 billion, which includes Patriot missiles, air defense weapons, and artillery. NATO countries will purchase these weapons from the United States and transfer them to Ukraine.
The military assistance reportedly may also include authorization for Ukraine to use its 18 long-range ATACMS missiles at their full 300-kilometer range, allowing strikes on military bases, airfields, and supply depots deep inside Russia that are currently out of reach.
Trump also considered sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine – the same weapons used against Iranian targets last month. “If fired from Ukraine, these could hit Moscow and St. Petersburg, and they were included in discussion as late as Friday,” the Washington Post reported. However, the Tomahawks are not included in the current delivery list, though they could be deployed later if Trump seeks additional leverage.
These decisions mark a significant policy shift from his previous stance of providing only defensive equipment.
The announcment came after Putin expressed his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Putin’s unwillingness to move towards a ceasefire and Russia’s escalating attacks on Kyiv and other cities. Putin reportedly said Trump during their phone call on 3 July that Moscow plans to escalate military operations in eastern Ukraine within the next 60 days, “securing the full administrative borders of occupied Ukrainian oblasts.”
“Trump is really pissed at Putin. His announcement tomorrow is going to be very aggressive,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Axios.
Trump’s criticism of Putin marked a shift in tone, with the US president expressing doubt about whether the Russian leader “seeks peace” and saying Putin speaks “a lot of nonsense.”
Trump also threatened to impose “severe tariffs” against Russia if it doesn’t make peace within 50 days. During Oval Office meeting on 14 July with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump described Putin as “a tough guy” and said he was “angry” at the Russian leader for not being “nice.”
When asked how far he would be willing to escalate if Putin decides to increase pressure, Trump declined to answer directly.
“Don’t ask me a question like that, ‘How far?'” Trump responded. “I just want to get the war settled.”
The military assistance package will help Ukraine to defend its citizen and infrustructure from Russian attacks that included more than 700 missile and drone strikes on some days last week.