Former US President Donald Trump has said that Ukraine should not strike Moscow, dismissing claims that he had encouraged President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch attacks on the Russian capital if supplied with long-range missiles.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked directly whether Zelensky should consider targeting Moscow. “No, he shouldn’t target Moscow,” Trump replied. He also ruled out supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles, saying, “No, we’re not looking to.”
His comments came in response to a report by the Financial Times, which claimed that Trump, during a phone conversation with Zelensky, had raised the possibility of hitting Moscow if the US provided Ukraine with long-range weapons. The report, citing two people familiar with the call, said the conversation took place on July 4, just a day after Trump held separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Times also reported that Trump discussed potentially sending Ukraine US-made ATACMS missiles during the call. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the claims, accusing the newspaper of distorting the former president’s words for clicks.
“President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing,” Leavitt said in a statement. “He’s working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war.”
Throughout his campaign, Trump has repeatedly promised to end the Ukraine war swiftly if re-elected, claiming he could broker peace within 24 hours of returning to the White House. However, he recently expressed disappointment with Putin for continuing attacks on Ukraine despite their private conversations.
“He’s disappointed in Putin, who keeps attacking Ukraine as if their talks didn’t mean anything,” the Times report said, summarising views shared by sources familiar with Trump’s recent calls.
