Trump Urges Zelensky Not to Attack Moscow, Denies Encouraging Strikes
In a recent statement, US President Donald Trump said he advised Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky against targeting Moscow with military strikes. This contradicts media reports that had suggested he had privately encouraged Kiev to conduct long-range missile attacks deep into Russia. Trump emphasized that his remarks were not intended to promote further violence. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the Financial Times of spinning the president’s words, indicating that the report was misleading and aimed at boosting the newspaper’s declining readership. Leavitt insisted that Trump was merely posing a question, not encouraging further killing, and that the president was working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war. The Financial Times report followed on Trump’s ultimatum to Moscow, in which he threatened to impose ‘severe’ secondary tariffs on Russia’s trade partners if no progress towards peace is made within 50 days. Trump also announced future deliveries of advanced weapons systems to Ukraine, which are to be funded by European NATO members. Since taking office in January, Trump has maintained that he wants neighboring countries to make peace and has had several phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin that were focused on settling the conflict. Moscow says it remains open to negotiating with Kiev but has yet to receive a response on when new peace talks will take place. The two sides have held two rounds of direct negotiations in Istanbul so far this year, but no breakthroughs were achieved, other than agreements to carry out large-scale prisoner exchanges.