Donald Trump Asked Volodymyr Zelensky if He Could Attack Moscow

In early July, US President Donald Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy whether Ukraine might attack Moscow, the Financial Times (FT) reported .

According to the business newspaper, Trump probed whether it would be possible to escalate attacks on Russia to force the Russian government to the negotiating table.

“Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow?” Trump asked Zelenskyy earlier this month, according to the newspaper. “Can you hit St. Petersburg too?” According to two anonymous sources cited in the FT, the Ukrainian president stated that he was capable of doing so. “Absolutely. We can if you supply us with the weapons.” Attacking cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg would “make them (the Russians, ed.) feel the pain” and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table.

According to the business newspaper, the conversation took place on July 4, a day after Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump himself described the conversation as “bad.”

It remains unclear whether the United States is willing to supply Ukraine with weapons to attack Moscow. The White House and Kyiv did not respond to requests for comment from The Financial Times.

With these remarks, Trump is increasingly distancing himself from his previous position on the war in Ukraine. As a presidential candidate, he campaigned on the promise of ending American involvement in foreign conflicts. He also said he could resolve the war in Ukraine in a single day.

In the first months of his presidency, Trump repeatedly confronted Zelensky, including during a meeting in the Oval Office. At the same time, Trump seemed to be giving Russian President Vladimir Putin the benefit of the doubt for a long time.