Donald Trump makes BIG proposal to Ukraine over Russia war, asks Zelenskyy, 'Can you hit...'

United States President Donald Trump, miffed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, has reportedly encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes against its neighbour. Trump also vowed to supply Ukraine with advanced military aid, including the Patriot missiles. According to a report by Financial Express, the US president, during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month, had proposed sending long-range weapons to Kyiv to hit targets deep inside the Russian territory, including capital Moscow.

Zelenskyy says 'absolutely'
During the phone call on July 4, Trump had reportedly asked Zelenskyy if he could hit major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow?...Can you hit St Petersburg too?" he questioned. In response, the Ukrainian president said: "Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons." On Sunday, Trump revealed the US would send the Patriot missiles to Ukraine, stating they were necessary to defend the country from intensifying Russian attacks. Putin "talks nice but then he bombs everybody," he told reporters.

Trump's changing stance
As per the FE report, Trump's call to Zelenskyy came after he spoke to Putin and was left convinced the Russian leader had no intention to halt assaults on Ukraine. Trump has indicated that his changing stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, is aimed to "make them (Russians) feel the pain" and force Moscow to join the negotiating table, the FT report said.

Russia issues fresh warning
Russia has warned that Trump's pledge of giving more weapons to Ukraine could further delay efforts to bring peace. "It seems that such a decision made in Washington and in NATO countries and directly in Brussels will be perceived by Kyiv not as a signal for peace but for the continuation of the war," Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a statement.