Trump "encouraged" Ukraine to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg - Financial Times
Kyiv • UNN
Donald Trump, in a private conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 4, asked if the Ukrainian Armed Forces could strike Moscow and St. Petersburg if the US provided appropriate weapons. Zelenskyy answered in the affirmative, and Trump supported the idea to force Russia into negotiations.
US President Donald Trump, in a private conversation with the President of Ukraine, "encouraged" strikes on Russian territory. He asked his Ukrainian counterpart whether the Armed Forces of Ukraine would be able to strike Moscow if the US provided Ukraine with appropriate weapons, UNN reports with reference to The Financial Times.
Details
According to the publication, the phone conversation between the presidents took place on July 4. Two FT sources reported that the conversation between Zelenskyy and Trump marks a sharp departure from Trump's previous position on the Russian-Ukrainian war and his election promise to end US involvement in "foreign conflicts."
Volodymyr, can you strike Moscow? Can you strike St. Petersburg too?
In response, Zelenskyy allegedly stated: "Absolutely. We can, if you give us weapons."
At the same time, Trump made it clear that he supports this idea. As the publication notes, the US president sees his strategy as aiming to "make the Russians feel pain" and force the Kremlin to sit down at the negotiating table with Ukraine.
Recall
Earlier, UNN reported that changes in Trump's strategy will not affect Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Russia, on the contrary, will intensify efforts to attack Ukraine within 50 days, says political scientist Ruslan Bortnyk.