Following reports that the Ukrainian president asked, if he could, Moscow, the US president, in response, said Ukraine “should not target Moscow”.
This comments were made after the Financial Times wrote that Trump had privately encouraged Ukraine to exacerbate the blows at a great depth in Russian territory. According to the report, the US president asked Zelenski if he could hurt Moscow, since the US provided him with long range weapons systems.
“No, he should not hurt Moscow,” Trump replied to reporters who asked him if Zelenski had to attack the Russian capital.
When asked if he was now on the side of Ukraine, Trump said, “I’m not on the side of anyone,” to immediately add that he is “on the side of mankind” because “he wants to stop killing.”
Trump defended the 50 -day deadline he gave to Russia to agree on the ceasefire and to avoid duties and sanctions on countries buying Russian oil. “I don’t think 50 days is a very long time and it could happen earlier,” he said. However, he did not clarify whether talks were planned in an effort to reach an agreement.
“At the end of 50 days, if we don’t have an agreement, things will be very bad,” he warned.
Earlier, White House spokesman Carolin Levitt, questioned about the FT article, denied that Donald Trump had further encouraged Ukraine violence during his telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on July 4.
Responding to journalists’ questions, Levit argued that the US president “just asked a question and did not encourage any further bloodshed”, adding that Trump “works incessantly to stop the war”.
