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President Trump has publicly announced that Ukraine should not target Moscow with military strikes after some reports indicated that he spoke with President Zelensky about striking Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Some shit you should know before you read: Yesterday, President Trump announced that the United States would resume supplying weapons and military support to Ukraine through a new framework involving NATO allies. Under this plan, the US will sell weapons to European NATO members, who will then transfer them to Ukraine. This approach allows for rapid deployment from existing NATO stockpiles in Europe.

What’s going on now: While speaking to reporters outside the White House, President Trump openly said he would not support Ukraine targeting Moscow with military strikes. “No, he shouldn’t target Moscow,” Trump said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as he departed for a trip to Pennsylvania. Despite this public position, reports from The Financial Times and The Washington Post have suggested that Trump had recently asked Zelensky in a phone call whether Ukraine could strike major Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg if Washington provided the necessary weapons.

According to these accounts, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the conversation, Trump posed the question as part of a broader discussion about increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Financial Times reported that Trump wanted to “make them feel the pain” to force Russia to negotiate, and Zelensky reportedly responded that Ukraine could carry out such strikes if supplied with the right weapons.

The White House quickly moved to downplay these reports, insisting that Trump’s remarks were taken out of context. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump was merely asking a question, not advocating for escalation or encouraging further violence. “President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He’s working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war,” she said.