Trump says Ukraine should not target Moscow

US president’s remarks travel study saying helium encouraged Kyiv to measurement up strikes wrong Russian territory.

United States President Donald Trump has said Ukraine should not target Moscow aft helium reportedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy if Kyiv could onslaught the Russian superior if helium provided long-range weaponry.

Trump made the comments aft The Financial Times connected Tuesday reported that the US president had encouraged Zelenskyy to measurement up strikes heavy wrong Russian territory during their telephone telephone connected July 4.

The report, which cited 2 unnamed radical acquainted with the discussion, said Trump had besides asked his Ukrainian counterpart whether helium could deed Moscow and St Petersburg if supplied with weapons with capable range.

In effect to a question connected Tuesday astir whether Zelenskyy should people Moscow, Trump told reporters astatine the White House that helium should not.

Trump besides told reporters that “we’re not looking” astatine providing Kyiv with longer-range missiles.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to corroborate the discussion in a connection provided to aggregate media outlets, but said it had been taken retired of context.

“President Trump was simply asking a question, not encouraging further killing,” Leavitt said successful the connection provided to outlets including ABC News and USA Today.

In a crisp pivot successful his stance connected the war, Trump on Monday announced that he would supply much weapons to Ukraine, and threatened to enforce steep secondary tariffs connected Russia’s commercialized partners if a bid woody is not reached wrong 50 days.

After returning to the White House successful January, Trump repeatedly formed Washington’s enactment for Ukraine arsenic a drain connected the US and accused Zelenskyy of hindering efforts to make peace.

But the US president’s code has shifted successful caller weeks amid increasing vexation with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to negociate an extremity to his invasion.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said Trump’s caller statements, including the menace of sanctions, were “very serious” and that it would request clip to measure the situation.

“We surely request clip to analyse what was said successful Washington,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters successful Moscow.

“And if and erstwhile President Putin deems it necessary, helium volition decidedly comment.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies