5 hours ago
Last Updated:July 15, 2025, 15:19 IST
US President Trump urged Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to strike Russia with US weapons, warning Russia to end its war in Ukraine within 50 days or face severe sanctions.
US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. (AFP Photo)
Russia-Ukraine War: US President Donald Trump has privately encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch deep strikes on Russia and asked him if Kyiv could target Moscow with the help of US-provided long-range weapons, Financial Times reported, citing people who were briefed on the discussions.
The conversation took place between the two leaders on July 4, marking a dramatic shift from Trump’s previous stance on Russia’s war and his campaign promise to end US involvement in foreign conflicts.
Trump Gives Russia 50 Days To Make Ukraine Deal
Earlier on Monday, Trump told Russia to end its war in Ukraine within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions, as he laid out plans for infusions of weaponry for Kyiv via NATO.
Trump said he was “very, very unhappy" with Vladimir Putin, underlining his insistence that his patience had finally snapped with the Russian leader’s refusal to end the deadly conflict.
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100 percent," Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The Republican added that they would be “secondary tariffs" that target Russia’s remaining trade partners — seeking to impede Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.
Russia’s top trading partner last year was China, accounting for about 34 percent, followed distantly by India, Turkey and Belarus, according to the Russian Federal Customs Service.
Trump and Rutte also unveiled a deal under which the NATO military alliance would buy billions of dollars of arms from the United States — including Patriot anti-missile batteries — and send them to Ukraine.
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:News world Trump Encouraged Zelenskyy To Strike Deeper Into Russia, Asked If Ukraine Could Hit Moscow: Report
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