Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump ‘asks Zelensky about striking Moscow and considers sending Tomahawk missiles'
In a recent phone call, Mr Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart why he had not struck Moscow to ramp up the pressure on Moscow. 'We can, if you give us the weapons," Mr Zelensky responded, a source told the The Washington Post.
He has privately encouraged Kyiv to step up strikes deep in Russian territory, the Financial Times reported.
The US president is considering sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, one of the weapons used by the US in its dramatic strikes on Iran last month, according to the Post.
Mr Trump has committed billions of dollars of American weapons to Ukraine, a significant boost to Ukraine's war effort and the relationship between Kyiv and Washington.
The medium-to-long-range cruise missiles could reach Moscow - but they are not currently on the list of supplies the US is due to send.
It comes after the US president said he is 'disappointed but not done' with Russian president Vladimir Putin after threatening 100 per cent secondary tariffs on Moscow if it fails to agree a peace deal within 50 days.
Putin unfazed by Trump threats, claim Kremlin sources
Vladimir Putin will continue fighting in Ukraine and is unfazed by Donald Trump's threat of further sanctions, three sources close to the Kremlin have told Reuters news agency.
Moscow's territorial demands may widen as Russian troops advance in the war-torn country, the sources added.
They said the Russian president believes Russia's economy and military are strong enough to weather additional Western measures
Mr Trump on Monday expressed frustration with Putin's refusal to agree a ceasefire and announced a wave of weapons supplies to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. He also threatened further sanctions on Russia unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days.
"Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine - including the Americans - so he will continue until he gets what he wants," one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
"Putin values the relationship with Trump and had good discussions with Witkoff, but the interests of Russia come above all else," the person added.
Alex Croft15 July 2025 14:42
Ukrainian PM officially resigns
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday he had officially filed a resignation letter, as a part of a major governmental reshuffle expected this week.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday nominated first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko for the post.
Alex Croft15 July 2025 14:25
Sweden to help boost arms supplies to Ukraine, says defence minister
Sweden will contribute to efforts to boost arms supplies to Ukraine following US president Donald Trump's decision to supply billions of dollars of weapons, including Patriot missile systems, via Nato.
"We welcome the American decision to make possible increased sanctions against Russia and to pave the way for the delivery of Patriots and other weapon systems to Ukraine," Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson said in an emailed comment to Reuters.
"Sweden will contribute." Jonson did not provide further about the support.
Alex Croft15 July 2025 14:04
In pictures: Sumy region in flames after Russian drone attack
Alex Croft15 July 2025 13:50
Analysis | Trump is looking at making money out of Nato – not saving Ukraine
Donald Trump has not turned against Vladimir Putin. Rather, he has just announced a big day of future sales for the US arms industry with a buying bonanza for Ukraine by Nato.
With the secretary general of Nato sitting next to him in the Oval Office, the US president warned that Russia would face '100 per cent' tariffs if it did not agree to a ceasefire with Kyiv inside 50 days.
He went on to criticise Putin several times for his warm approach and manner on the telephone which he then followed up by renewed missile attacks on Ukraine.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Trump is looking at making money out of Nato – not saving Ukraine
Don't be misled; Trump is peeved by Putin and will make money from his irritation out of Ukraine's war but he has not shifted away from Russia completely, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley
Alex Croft15 July 2025 13:38
Trump pledges more Patriots for Ukraine in coming days - ICYMI
US president Donald Trump has said billions of dollars of US weapons would go to Ukraine, including more than a dozen Patriot air defence missiles.
"We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to Nato," Mr Trump said, adding that Washington's Nato allies would pay for them.
The weapons would include Patriot air defence missiles Ukraine has urgently sought, he said.
"It's a full complement with the batteries," Mr Trump said. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days."
"We have one country that has 17 Patriots getting ready to be shipped... we're going to work a deal where the 17 will go or a big portion of the 17 will go to the war site,' he said.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, who was sitting alongside Mr Trump in the Oval Office, said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada all wanted to be a part of rearming Ukraine.
Alex Croft15 July 2025 13:27
Moscow does not understand Trump's motivations behind recent comments, says Lavrov
Moscow wants to understand what motivated US president Donald Trump's statement that Russia must agree to a peace deal in Ukraine within a 50-day deadline, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Lavrov, speaking at a press conference at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Foreign Ministers meeting in the Chinese city Tianjin, said he had no doubt that Russia will cope with any new sanctions.
Alex Croft15 July 2025 13:12
Watch: Trump threatens Russia with sanctions and tariffs if peace with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days
Alex Croft15 July 2025 12:57
Trump changes tune on Nato
Donald Trump, once a fierce critic of the Nato, is now far more positive about the future of the military alliance.
The US president was asked by the BBC whether Nato had become 'obsolete' - a word he has used to describe it before.
"No. I think Nato is now becoming the opposite of that,' he told the broadcaster, adding that the alliance is 'paying their own bills'.
In late June, Nato allies agreed to boost their defence spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product, a move the White House had repeatedly demanded since taking office.
Mr Trump added that he still believes in collective defence to allow smaller countries to defend themselves against bigger ones.
Alex Croft15 July 2025 12:42
Russia fires 267 drones at Ukraine overnight
Russian forces fired 267 drones at Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, Kyiv's air force has said.
Air defences destroyed a total of 178 of these drones, while 23 strikes were recorded across seven locations.
Drones were fired across the north, south, east and centre of the country form Monday afternoon into Tuesday.
Alex Croft
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
23 minutes ago
- Reuters
US Senate to vote on Trump funding cuts, AIDS program funding preserved
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate is due to begin voting on Tuesday on President Donald Trump's request to slash billions in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting previously approved by Congress, the latest test of Trump's control over his fellow Republicans. However, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told reporters it will no longer include a plan to cut funds designated for PEPFAR, a global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, bringing the size of the package of cuts to $9 billion from $9.4 billion. Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the chamber's Republican majority leader, said he expected the first procedural voting on Tuesday. He had said that some members of his party had wanted changes in the bill. The Senate has until Friday to act on the rescissions package, originally a request to claw back $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. Otherwise, the request will expire and the White House will be required to adhere to spending plans passed by Congress. Approving the Senate bill without the PEPFAR cuts means the measure must go back to the House of Representatives for a vote before it can be sent back to Trump to sign into law. Thune said he expected the House would act quickly to pass the measure. The amounts at stake are extremely small in the context of the sprawling federal budget, which totaled $6.8 trillion in the fiscal year ended September 30. Yet the proposed cuts have raised the hackles of Democrats and a handful of Republicans who saw an attempt to erode Congress's Constitutionally mandated authority over spending. The foreign aid initiatives in Trump's request for cuts included lifesaving support for women and children's health and the fight against HIV/AIDS that have long had strong bipartisan support. The package also cuts funds supporting public broadcasting, which can be the main source of news and emergency information in rural parts of the U.S. Critics of the cuts said the amounts of money involved were small but funded essential programs that should not be cut. "What is going on here? Does anyone stand up to these horrible, horrible cuts that hurt the American people?" Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the chamber's Democratic leader, said on Monday. Trump has threatened to withhold his endorsement from any member of Congress who does not vote for the measure without changes. Standalone presidential rescissions packages have not passed in years, with lawmakers reluctant to cede their constitutionally mandated control of government spending. During Trump's first term in 2018, Congress members rejected Trump's request to revoke $15 billion in spending. Trump's Republicans hold narrow majorities in the Senate and House. So far, they have shown little appetite for opposing his policies. The rescissions legislation passed the House by 214-212 last month. Four Republicans joined 208 Democrats in voting against it. Some Republican senators had expressed concern about some of Trump's requests. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, had said she opposed Trump's request to cut funding for the global programs to fight HIV/AIDS. Democrats have warned that the foreign aid and broadcasting cuts, which overturn spending agreements between Republicans and Democrats, could make it more difficult to negotiate the package of spending bills that must pass by September 30 to fund the government next year and avoid a shutdown. "How are we supposed to negotiate a bipartisan deal if Republicans will turn around and put it through the shredder in a partisan vote?" asked Senator Patty Murray from Washington, the top Democrat on the appropriations committee. Appropriations bills require 60 votes to move ahead in the Senate, but the rescissions package needs just 51, meaning Republicans can pass it without Democratic support.
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Elmo responds after hacker shares ‘disgusting' social media posts
Elmo 's official X account was compromised by a hacker over the weekend, who posted antisemitic and racist content. The hacker's posts included branding Donald Trump as ' Netanyahu 's puppet' and demanding the release of Jeffrey Epstein -related files. Sesame Workshop, the organisation behind Sesame Street, confirmed the hack and stated they were working to restore full control of the account. All offensive and 'disgusting' posts have since been deleted, and Elmo's account later posted a message of kindness. The incident occurred amidst ongoing discussions about the Jeffrey Epstein files, with Elon Musk criticising Donald Trump and a Democratic strategist suggesting Trump orchestrated the file release.
Economist
26 minutes ago
- Economist
Cynical realism won't save India from Donald Trump
IT IS HARD to knock India's political and business elites off-balance, but President Donald Trump is managing. In Delhi's book-lined studies and the glass-walled corporate towers of Mumbai, grandees are suffering from vertigo. Normally, Indian diplomats and strategists take pride in being unshockable, remaining coolly transactional whatever a wicked world throws at them. But since Mr Trump's return to office, elites are off-kilter.
