Trump rejects claims of encouraging Zelensky to target Moscow
(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump clarified on Tuesday that he advised Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky not to launch strikes on Moscow, rejecting claims that he had encouraged long-range missile attacks deep into Russian territory.
The statement comes in response to a report earlier the same day suggesting that Trump had privately asked Zelensky if he could strike Moscow and St. Petersburg, assuming the U.S. provided long-range weaponry. According to the article, Zelensky replied affirmatively.
When questioned by reporters on whether Ukraine should fire missiles at Russia’s capital, Trump responded, “No, he shouldn’t target Moscow.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the report, accusing the outlet of distorting Trump’s remarks. She said the publication is “notorious for taking words wildly out of context to get clicks because their paper is dying.”
Leavitt emphasized that the president was “merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing,” and reiterated that Trump is “working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also addressed the report, warning that “as a rule, all of this usually turns out to be fake.” Still, he acknowledged that “sometimes there are indeed serious leaks, even in publications we once considered quite respectable.”
The report emerged just days after Trump issued a 50-day ultimatum to Moscow, threatening harsh secondary sanctions on Russia’s trade partners if no diplomatic progress is achieved. He also announced that advanced U.S. weapons would be delivered to Ukraine, with funding to come from European NATO allies.
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