Trump reportedly asked Zelensky if he could hit Moscow with US long-range missiles
Senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev recently dismissed Trump’s "theatrical ultimatum," in which the former president threatened Moscow with 100% secondary tariffs unless peace was achieved.
File image of Donald Trump and Volodymir Zelensky.
During a call on July 4, Donald Trump reportedly urged his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to intensify attacks inside Russian territory. According to sources familiar with the conversation cited by the Financial Times, he even asked whether U.S.-made long-range missiles could be used to strike Moscow.
"Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? . . . Can you hit St. Petersburg too?" Trump reportedly asked. His counterpart responded, "Absolutely. We can—if you provide us with the weapons."
Although neither the president nor any Administration spokesperson has confirmed or denied the report, it comes amid a shift in the Republican’s stance, showing growing support for Zelensky and increasing distance from Vladimir Putin.
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Trump took the latest step in his estrangement from Putin this past Monday by threatening to impose 100% tariffs on Russia’s trading partners if a truce was not brokered within 50 days. ‘I hope we don’t have to do it,’ he said, expressing disappointment with the Russian leader, whom he believed had agreed to a peace deal months ago. However, the war not only continued but has recently seen an escalation, with the Russian Army intensifying its attacks.
During a meeting in the Oval Office with Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Trump also welcomed a new agreement to supply U.S. weapons to Ukraine via NATO member countries. Under the deal, these countries will purchase the weaponry from the United States, which NATO will then distribute to Ukraine.
For now, the missiles reportedly discussed by the leaders do not appear to be included in the agreement.
Reactions to Trump's latest announcement
Putin himself has remained silent. However, one of his closest allies, Dmitry Medvedev—former president and current deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council—publicly dismissed Trump’s "theatrical ultimatum." Writing on X, Medvedev said, "The world shuddered, expecting consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care."
The European Union’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, expressed strong support for the U.S. announcement to send additional weapons. The Estonian politician said Washington has recognized that Putin 'does not really want peace' and urged continued pressure on Russia—both through arms shipments and secondary tariffs.
The reaction within the United States was quite different from that of Republican congresswoman and close Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, who argued that the arms shipment contradicted the president’s campaign promises:
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Russia as a target
Ukrainian forces have launched attacks deep inside Russian territory or in areas occupied by Russia using U.S.-supplied ATACMS medium range missiles, British Storm Shadow missiles and drones. One of the most notable drone attacks occurred in early June during the so-called Operation Spiderweb.
In Operation Spiderweb, Ukrainian drones, concealed in trucks, infiltrated Russian territory to destroy nuclear-capable bombers—one of the three critical components of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, alongside submarines and land-based missiles.
The goal of these attacks is to make the Russian population feel the costs of the war directly, thereby increasing its unpopularity and pressuring Moscow to return to the negotiating table.
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