 "'Can you hit Moscow, St Petersburg?' Trump asked Zelenskyy in July 4 call")
US President Donald Trump privately urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to escalate deep strikes inside Russian territory, including raising the possibility of targeting Moscow, according to a report by the Financial Times citing individuals briefed on the conversation.
The remarks were made during a July 4 phone call between the two leaders, following a separate call Trump held with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier, which he reportedly described as “bad”.
The US-Ukraine call went something like this:
Trump asked Zelenskyy: “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? . . . Can you hit St Petersburg too?”
Zelenskyy is said to have replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”
However, it is unclear whether the US plans to provide these weapons to Ukraine.
Trump to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine
The call was followed by a meeting in Rome last week, where US officials shared a list of potential long-range weapon systems with Zelenskyy. The transfer would reportedly be facilitated through third-party sales to European allies, circumventing a current freeze on direct US military aid.
On Sunday, Trump also announced that the US would be sending Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine, but did not confirm any other weapons shipments.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Ukraine has requested the Tomahawk cruise missile, which has a range of around 1,600 km. The Trump administration, however, reportedly expressed reservations about Ukraine’s operational restraint.
One of the systems discussed was the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has already been used by Ukraine to strike Russian-occupied areas and limited targets inside Russia. Its range, however, falls short of reaching cities like Moscow or St Petersburg.
Operation Spiderweb: Ukraine uses domestic missiles against Russia
Washington has previously cautioned Kyiv against using Western weapons to strike deep into Russia, leading to Ukraine increasingly relying on domestically produced long-range drones for high-profile attacks inside Russia.
In early June, Operation Spiderweb involved Ukrainian intelligence that used drones smuggled in prefabricated homes to target a fleet of Russian strategic bombers. At least 12 aircraft were reported damaged or destroyed in that attack.
Frustration with Putin at centre of Trump's Ukraine war stance
Trump has increasingly shared his frustration with Russian President Vladimir.
Early in 2025, as Trump began his second term, the US president leaned on his rapport with Putin, expecting rapid peace progress, claiming he could end the war in “24 hours”; however, ceasefire talks stalled, and he began to directly and openly criticise Putin.
In mid-March, Trump managed to broker a deal for a 30-day energy-infrastructure ceasefire, with Putin’s agreement. However, Putin later baulked at extending the pause, calling the deal conditional and causing Trump frustration. Earlier this month, Trump admitted, “I’m not happy with President Putin at all,” following failed ceasefire progress.
Most recently, he warned that unless Russia commits to peace within 50 days, Trump would impose 100 per cent tariffs or secondary sanctions targeting countries that buy Russian oil.
While all signs indicate that Trump’s stance is hardening, the president has so far stopped short of confirming a wholesale shift in US policy toward Russia. The Republican leader has also developed a reputation for not always following through on his threats, especially those involving tariffs. More often than not, Trump’s actions are unpredictable and sometimes contradict his own statements. For example, he claimed he needed two weeks to make a decision on Iran; however, the US military launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities within just a few days.