DONALD Trump reportedly asked Volodymyr Zelensky whether Kyiv could strike Russia’s two biggest cities — if the US supplied the right firepower.
The explosive July 4th call signifies a dramatic change in Trump’s stance on the Ukraine conflict, switching from a peacemaker role to advocating for aggressive actions, even considering direct attacks on Russian cities to pressure Putin.
During the call, Trump inquired, “Volodymyr, can you target Moscow? What about St. Petersburg?” as reported by the Financial Times, which referenced information from two sources familiar with the conversation.
Zelensky’s answer was swift and direct: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”
Instead of shying away, Trump endorsed the idea, suggesting it could make Russians experience hardship and compel the Kremlin to agree to a ceasefire.
Some of Ukraine’s attacks on Moscow this year include a March strike on one of Russia’s prized oil refineries – just 55 miles away from Putin’s Black Sea palace.
Russian air defences were also left scrambling to shoot down over 337 drones across 10 different regions, with Moscow and Kursk as the main targets.
It’s the clearest sign yet that Trump is done playing diplomatic games with Vladimir Putin — and is now preparing to take the fight to Russia’s doorstep.
The White House has refused to comment on the bombshell report.
But it comes hot on the heels of Trump’s blistering crackdown on Moscow, including a pledge to hit Russia with 100 percent tariffs if Putin doesn’t agree to a peace deal within 50 days.
The Financial Times revealed that following the call, a list of long-range weapons was shared with Zelensky in Rome during meetings with US defence officials and Nato intermediaries.
The weapons discussed included the Tomahawk cruise missile, with a 1,600km range, and the Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms), which Ukraine has already used to hit Russian-occupied areas — and in some cases, targets deeper inside Russia.
The plan under discussion could allow Trump to bypass the congressional freeze on direct US military aid by authorising weapons sales to European allies, who would then transfer them to Ukraine.
A workaround, but one that could supercharge Ukraine’s firepower without violating legal constraints.
But American officials have expressed concern over Kyiv’s lack of restraint, particularly after a series of daring attacks — including the infamous Operation Spiderweb, where Ukraine’s SBU smuggled drones disguised as prefab homes into Russia and destroyed a fleet of strategic bombers.
That strike, seen as a major psychological blow to the Kremlin, left 12 Russian aircraft heavily damaged or destroyed — retaliation for Moscow’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
While US-supplied Atacms missiles can reach up to 186 miles (300km), they still can’t hit Moscow.
But the message from Trump is clear: if Kyiv can deliver the pain, Washington may provide the means.
Trump’s fury has been building and his patience with the Kremlin tyrant is wearing very thin.
On Monday, in the Oval Office alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, he slammed Putin’s refusal to deal, and threatened 100 per cent secondary tariffs on Russia if there’s no ceasefire in 50 days.
He also reaffirmed support for NATO’s collective defence — in a stark contrast to his earlier skepticism of the alliance.
“I’m disappointed in President Putin. I thought we would have had a deal two months ago,” Trump said.
“We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs.”
He also revealed plans to arm Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems, while NATO allies would pick up the bill.
“We’re not buying it,” Trump said.
“We will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”
Rutte called it a “game changer”, promising a massive increase in European-supplied equipment.
One of the powerful weapons which could make the cut and be included in package deal is America’s joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM).
According to the defence news website Military Watch, President Trump is considering supplying the rarely used Lockheed Martin equipment to help Ukraine.
The standard AGM-15 JASSM has an outstanding range of up to 230 miles with a warhead weighing 450 kg.
They are also well-known for their ability to fly at low altitudes, which allows them to avoid radar detection.
But Putin wasn’t listening.
Within hours of Trump’s tariff threat, Russia launched a fresh blitz across Ukraine, striking sites in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
Drones targeted a university in Sumy, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student, while a missile hit a medical facility in Shostka.
In response, Ukraine launched its own drone blitz across southwest Russia, injuring civilians and damaging homes and industrial sites in Voronezh and Lipetsk.
The Kremlin’s reaction to Trump’s latest posture was icy.
Putin infamous crony, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, mocked Trump’s deadline as “theatrical,” writing on X: “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin.
“The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.”
