President Trump told reporters Tuesday that Ukraine should not target Moscow with military attacks and that the U.S. was not looking to give long-range missiles to Kyiv in its ongoing war against Russia.
“No, he shouldn’t target Moscow,” Trump said of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he departed the White House for a trip to Pennsylvania.
The Financial Times reported earlier Tuesday that Trump had asked Zelensky during a recent phone call if Ukraine could hit Moscow if provided long-range weapons.
The president on Monday touted a deal with NATO to send additional weapons to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, with the military alliance bearing the brunt of the cost.
Trump also threatened to impose “severe” tariffs on Russia if it did not agree to a ceasefire in the next 50 days. Asked Monday why he was effectively giving Russian President Vladimir Putin so long to carry on with his strikes against Ukraine, Trump indicated the timeline could shift.
“I don’t think 50 days is very long,” he said. “And it could be sooner than that.”
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 after amassing troops at the border. Trump campaigned on a pledge to end the war within 24 hours, a timeframe he later claimed was “sarcastic.”
Trump has in recent weeks expressed increasing frustration with Putin as Moscow continues to fire missiles into Ukraine despite the White House’s push for a peace deal.
The president has faced growing pressure from some lawmakers in his own party to impose sanctions on Russia over its war effort in Ukraine, though Trump has been non-committal about whether he would sign the bill working its way through the Senate.