Trump connects to Zelensky and asks: Can you attack Moscow and St. Petersburg? Reaction: Amazing. However: Trump even admits to send to Ukraine long -range missiles that allow to attack Russian soil. Reaction to this: Ukrainians are taking Trump’s ideas seriously
Trump does not exclude the possibility of sending long range missiles to Ukraine
by Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood, Kristen Holmes e Alyna Trene
In conversations with European allies in recent weeks, Trump has not ruled out the possibility of allowing certain offensive weapons to enter Ukraine, including products that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously requested the United States but has not yet received, authorities heard by CNN.
Trump also asked Ukraine’s ability to attack Russia’s depths in recent weeks in an effort to increase the pressure on Kremlin to end the war, according to an informed source about the conversation.
In a recent call call with Zelensky, Trump asked Ukraine’s ability to reach Moscow and St. Petersburg, the source said, an issue that was reported firsthand by Financial Times.
An American guardian and a White House official said the question was one of the many the president made about the conflict during the call and seemed to have been raised in the passage.
But the Ukrainians were atonitious and took Trump’s ideas seriously. Zelensky said the attacks could be made if the Ukrainians had the necessary weapons, according to the first source. After the conversation, there was a discussion between Ukraine, other European countries and the US about long -range systems that could be given to Ukraine, the source said.
Ukraine has already hit Moscow and the São Petersburg region with drone attacks.
After the Financial Times reported Trump’s question, the White House said Trump’s words had been taken from the context.
“President Trump was just asking a question and not encouraging more deaths. He is working tirelessly to end the deaths and end this war,” spokesman Karoline Leavitt told CNN.
The episode underlines the current dynamics between the two countries, as Zelensky works tirelessly to reach Trump’s ears and does not want to waste what may be limited support and involvement from the United States.
Asked whether long-range offensive missiles were under discussion as part of the NATO plan announced Monday, the covenant secretary said the scheme could include all types of weapons.
“It is a defensive and offensive plan, so it includes all types of weapons. But we have not yet argued in detail yesterday with the president. This is being worked with the Pentagon by the Supreme Commander allied in Europe, together with the Ukrainians,” said Mark Rutte after a meeting with congressmen in the capitol.
On Monday, Trump’s envoy to NATO, Matt Whitaker, said the immediate focus on the sending of weapons to Ukraine was the defensive systems, such as Patriot’s missile batteries. But it did not rule out the possibility of providing offensive weapons.
“All weapons are both offensive and defensive,” said Whitaker. “Obviously, an air defense system is important and critical to the situation, but at the same time, we are not excluding anything from our list.”
At the end of his mandate, President Joe Biden allowed the Army’s Long -range Missile Missile System to be sent to Ukraine for use within Russia, although these weapons could not reach the two cities on which Trump questioned Zelensky on his call.
Trump considered the measure “stupid” and a “big mistake” and questioned the fact that he was not consulted when preparing to take office.
Ukraine has also requested previously – but has not yet received – Set Surface separation missiles, or jassms, which are fired by F -16 fighters. European countries have previously provided these fighters to Ukraine.
For now, however, the priority seems to be the acquisition of Air Defense Systems for Ukraine – namely Patriot batteries that can intercep the Russian ballistic missiles. These products will be the first to enter the new weapon channel that Trump announced Monday, which involves European nations that buy the products and then transfer them to Ukraine.
Weapons will be available for quick shipping from existing stocks in Europe, and will probably be reinforced by new US purchases by European countries.
“When it comes to ammunition and missiles, we will work from now on, every hour, to ensure that the material arrives in Ukraine. But of course, we know that they are not just the patriots,” Nato Secretary Mark Rutte, CNN Jake Tapper, said on Monday, citing other systems used to intercep cruise missiles as essential for Ukraine defenses.
“We are really discussing everything the US can still provide without harming the defense of the US,” he said.
