Latest news with #Kremlin
NHK
3 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
FT: Trump asked Zelenskyy if he could hit Moscow
US President Donald Trump has reportedly encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes deep into Russian territory, even asking his Ukrainian counterpart whether he could hit Moscow if the United States provided long-range weapons. The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a call on July 4, citing two people familiar with the conversation. The newspaper quoted Trump as asking: "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? ...Can you hit St. Petersburg too?" It said Zelenskyy replied: "Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the report for taking words out of context, saying he "was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing." Trump also reacted to the story, telling reporters Zelenskyy "shouldn't target Moscow," and that the US is not looking to give long-range missiles to Ukraine. Trump on Monday ramped up the pressure on Russia to end the conflict. He promised to send more weapons to Kyiv, including Patriot air defense systems. He also threatened Moscow with steep tariffs if it doesn't reach a peace deal within 50 days. On Tuesday, Russia and China both reacted to Trump's moves. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Trump's statements quite serious, and said Russia will need time to analyze them. China weighed in on Trump's threat to slap "secondary tariffs" on buyers of Russian products if Moscow keeps stalling. At a news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said: "Tariff wars have no winners. Coercion and pressuring will lead nowhere." Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing, where both sides confirmed their commitment to boosting cooperation.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kremlin reacts icily to Trump but some Russian officials are blunter
By Guy Faulconbridge, Gleb Stolyarov and Lucy Papachristou MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin on Tuesday reacted icily to Donald Trump's warnings to President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine, saying that recent decisions by the U.S. president and the NATO military alliance would be interpreted by Kyiv as a signal to continue the war. Trump, sitting beside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, on Monday, announced new weapons for Ukraine and threatened "biting" secondary tariffs of 100% on the buyers of Russian exports unless there is a peace deal in 50 days. "The U.S. president's statements are very serious. Some of them are addressed personally to President Putin," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington." Peskov, though, added that it was already clear that decisions being made in Washington and other NATO capitals were "perceived by the Ukrainian side not as a signal for peace but as a signal to continue the war." Putin, who has spoken to Trump by telephone at least six times this year, has yet to comment publicly on Trump's remarks. But two other senior Russian officials did not hold back. Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, said Moscow did not care about Trump's "theatrical ultimatum", while a senior Russian diplomat, Sergei Ryabkov, suggested that giving ultimatums to Moscow was unacceptable and pointless. Trump, who has said he wants to be seen as a "peacemaker" president, said he wanted to see the end of the war - on which he said the United States had spent $350 billion - but that he had been "disappointed" by Putin. TRUMP 'VERY UNHAPPY' Trump specifically expressed frustration that Putin's "talk" about peace was often followed by Russian strikes on major Ukrainian cities, and indicated Washington wanted to press Moscow into ending the war by sending more arms to Ukraine. "I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy," Trump said of Putin, a reference to former U.S. President Joe Biden calling the Russian leader "a killer" in a 2021 interview. The Financial Times reported that Trump had privately encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes deep in Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy whether he could hit Moscow if the U.S. provided long-range weapons. Trump told the BBC that he was "not done" with Putin and that he thought a Ukraine peace deal was on the cards. Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces. The United States says 1.2 million people have been injured or killed in the war. In Moscow, state television broadcasts led with advances by Russian troops in Ukraine, of which Russian forces control just under a fifth, and an attack on Russia by Ukrainian drones which injured 18 people. SECONDARY SANCTIONS Kommersant, one of Russia's most respected newspapers, invoked William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in its front page headline to suggest betrayal: "Et tu, Trump - the main peacekeeper of Ukrainian conflict joined the 'party of war'". Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to make peace - but on his terms - and that there is no point discussing a ceasefire until the details of what a peace would look like are nailed down. In Washington, a White House official said Trump's intention is to impose "100% tariffs on Russia" and secondary sanctions on other countries that buy oil from Russia if a peace deal is not struck in 50 days. "We can do secondary," Trump said. "We're probably talking about 100 percent or something like that. We can do secondary tariffs without the Senate, without the House, but what they're crafting also could be very good." Eighty-five of the 100 U.S. senators are co-sponsoring a bill that would give Trump the authority to impose 500% tariffs on any country that helps Russia. China, India and Turkey are the biggest buyers of crude from Russia, the world's second largest exporter of oil.
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump says Zelensky should not bomb Moscow
Published: | Updated: President Donald Trump warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not to bomb Moscow , making a sharp shift in strategy as he pushes to end the war in the Ukraine . Trump pushed back on a report that he privately urged the Ukrainian president to increase strikes on Russian territory and asked Zelensky if he was able to hit Moscow and St. Petersburg. 'No, he shouldn't target Moscow,' Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday when asked about his conversation with Zelensky. But, according to reports, Zelensky, in his July 4th call with Trump, suggested to the president that Ukraine needed long-range precision American weapons, leading Trump to inquire about the potential targets. 'Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? … Can you hit St Petersburg too?' Trump asked, the Financial Times reported, citing multiple sources. The president said he wanted Putin to 'feel the pain.' Zelensky replied: 'Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.' Moscow is nearly 300 miles from the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory and St. Petersburg is 530 miles away. Trump signaled his support for the idea, describing the strategy as intended to 'make them [Russians] feel the pain' and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table, according to the two people briefed on the call. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued Trump's words were taken out of context, saying the president 'was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing.' Ukraine has repeatedly targeted sites as far as 1,000 miles inside Russia - including in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Putin 's hometown - but the Kremlin says those missiles have been taken down by drone. Trump has show increased impatience with Putin and wants the Russian leader to come to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. However, he clarified that despite agreeing to send American weapons to Kyiv, he's 'not looking' to give Ukraine long-range weapons - the kind that could do the most damage. And, asked what side he's on in Russia-Ukraine war, the president said he's on 'humanity's side.' 'You know what the side I'm on - humanity's side. I want to stop the killing of thousands of people to go away. Stop the killing. I want the killing to stop,' he told reporters. Trump, on Monday, threatened to slap 100 percent tariffs on Russia in 50 days if a deal to end the war isn't reached. And he's doubled down on that threat. 'I don't think 50 days is very long, and it could be sooner than that,' he said on Tuesday. 'The tariffs are going to go on and other sanctions.' He said he hasn't talked to Putin since that threat as he tries to use his economic might to bring Putin to heel. The Russian president has ignored Trump's call for a ceasefire and ratcheted up his attacks on Ukraine, sending more than 500 drones and missiles almost daily. Trump, in a meeting on Monday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that he's sending American weapons to Ukraine and that the U.S. will not be paying for them. He made a deal with NATO to send sophisticated weaponry, including Patriot missiles, to Ukraine. But Trump insisted that the U.S. will not be footing the bill after being taken advantage of for so long. 'We've made a deal today where we are going to be sending [Ukraine] weapons and [Europe] is going to be paying for them,' he stated. 'We - the United States - will not be having any payment made. We're not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they're going to be paying for it.'
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Trump does U-turn saying Zelensky should NOT bomb Moscow despite wanting Putin to 'feel the pain'
President Donald Trump warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not to bomb Moscow, making a sharp shift in strategy as he pushes to end the war in the Ukraine. Trump pushed back on a report that he privately urged the Ukrainian president to increase strikes on Russian territory and asked Zelensky if he was able to hit Moscow and St. Petersburg. 'No, he shouldn't target Moscow,' Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday when asked about his conversation with Zelensky. But, according to reports, Zelensky, in his July 4th call with Trump, suggested to the president that Ukraine needed long-range precision American weapons, leading Trump to inquire about the potential targets. 'Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? … Can you hit St Petersburg too?' Trump asked, the Financial Times reported, citing multiple sources. The president said he wanted Putin to 'feel the pain.' Zelensky replied: 'Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.' Moscow is nearly 300 miles from the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory and St. Petersburg is 530 miles away. Trump signaled his support for the idea, describing the strategy as intended to 'make them [Russians] feel the pain' and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table, according to the two people briefed on the call. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued Trump's words were taken out of context, saying the president 'was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing.' Ukraine has repeatedly targeted sites as far as 1,000 miles inside Russia - including in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Putin 's hometown - but the Kremlin says those missiles have been taken down by drone. Trump has show increased impatience with Putin and wants the Russian leader to come to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. However, he clarified that despite agreeing to send American weapons to Kyiv, he's 'not looking' to give Ukraine long-range weapons - the kind that could do the most damage. And, asked what side he's on in Russia-Ukraine war, the president said he's on 'humanity's side.' 'You know what the side I'm on - humanity's side. I want to stop the killing of thousands of people to go away. Stop the killing. I want the killing to stop,' he told reporters. Trump, on Monday, threatened to slap 100 percent tariffs on Russia in 50 days if a deal to end the war isn't reached. And he's doubled down on that threat. 'I don't think 50 days is very long, and it could be sooner than that,' he said on Tuesday. 'The tariffs are going to go on and other sanctions.' He said he hasn't talked to Putin since that threat as he tries to use his economic might to bring Putin to heel. The Russian president has ignored Trump's call for a ceasefire and ratcheted up his attacks on Ukraine, sending more than 500 drones and missiles almost daily. Trump, in a meeting on Monday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that he's sending American weapons to Ukraine and that the U.S. will not be paying for them. He made a deal with NATO to send sophisticated weaponry, including Patriot missiles, to Ukraine. But Trump insisted that the U.S. will not be footing the bill after being taken advantage of for so long. 'We've made a deal today where we are going to be sending [Ukraine] weapons and [Europe] is going to be paying for them,' he stated. 'We - the United States - will not be having any payment made. We're not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they're going to be paying for it.' Trump, for weeks, has been showing his frustration with the Russian leader's refusal to stand down and come to peace talks. 'We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100 percent,' he noted.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Trump hasn't ruled out funnelling longer-range missiles to Ukraine
By Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood, Kristen Holmes and Alayna Treene , CNN Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky Photo: AFP As President Donald Trump hardens his position toward Moscow and seeks new ways to bring the conflict to an end, he is leaving open the prospect of allowing shipments of longer-range missiles to the country that would allow it to strike deeper into Russia, according to officials familiar with the matter. In conversations with European allies over the past several weeks, Trump has not ruled out allowing certain offensive weapons into Ukraine, including products Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously requested from the United States but not yet received, the officials said. Trump has also asked about Ukraine's ability to carry out strikes deep inside Russia in recent weeks in an effort to increase pressure on the Kremlin to drive an end to the war, according to a source briefed on the conversation. In a recent phone call with Zelensky, Trump asked about Ukraine's ability to hit both Moscow and St Petersburg, the source said, a question first reported by the Financial Times. A US official and a White House official said the question was one of many the president asked about the conflict on the call, and seemed to be raised in passing. But the Ukrainians were stunned and took Trump's ideas seriously. Zelensky said that the strikes could be carried out if the Ukrainians had the weapons needed, the first source said. After the conversation, there has been follow-up 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 been reaching Moscow and the St Petersburg area with drone strikes . After the Financial Times reported on Trump's question , the White House said Trump's words had been taken out of context. "President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He's working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN. The episode underscores the current dynamic between the two countries, as Zelensky works tirelessly to get Trump's ear and does not want to squander what might be limited support and engagement from the United States. Asked whether long range offensive missiles were under discussion as part of the NATO plan announced Monday, the alliance's secretary general said the scheme could include all types of weapons. "It's both defensive and offensive, so it's all kinds of weapons. But we have not discussed in detail yesterday with the president. This is really being worked through with the Pentagon, by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, together with the Ukrainians," Mark Rutte said after meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. On Monday, Trump's NATO envoy Matt Whitaker said the immediate focus on shipping weapons to Ukraine was on defensive systems, like the Patriot missile batteries. But he didn't rule out providing offensive weapons. "All weapons are both offensive and defensive," he said. "Obviously an air defense system is important and critical for the situation, but at the same time we're not taking anything off the table." At the end of his term, President Joe Biden allowed shipments of powerful long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to Ukraine for use inside Russia, though those weapons would not be able to reach the two cities Trump questioned Zelensky about in his phone call. Trump called the move "stupid" and a "big mistake," and questioned why he wasn't consulted as he was preparing to take office. Ukraine has also previously requested - but not yet received - Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, or JASSMs, which are fired from F-16 fighter jets. European nations have previously provided those jets to Ukraine. For now, however, the priority appears to be getting Ukraine air defense systems - namely, the Patriot batteries that can intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Those products will be the first to enter the new weapons pipeline that Trump announced Monday involving European nations purchasing the products and then transferring them to Ukraine. The weapons will be available to ship quickly from existing stockpiles in Europe, and will likely be backfilled by new purchases from the US by European nations. "When it comes to ammunition and missiles, we will work on this from now on, every hour, making sure that the stuff gets into Ukraine. But of course, we know it's not only Patriots," Rutte told CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday, citing other systems used to intercept cruise missiles as essential to Ukraine's defenses. "This is really discussing everything the US can still deliver without hurting the defense of the US itself," he said. - CNN
