Donald Trump has privately encouraged Ukraine to step up attacks deeper into Russian territory, even asking Volodymyr Zelensky if it could strike Moscow if the US provided long-range weapons.
In this context, Trump’s determination to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin was expressed last week in a conversation he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the Financial Times, Trump allegedly encouraged Zelensky to intensify Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil, even asking the Ukrainian president if he could strike Moscow if the US provided him with long-range weapons. The newspaper, citing two people familiar with the conversation between Trump and Zelensky, reported that the US president asked his Ukrainian counterpart if he could strike military targets deep inside Russia if he were provided with weapons capable of doing so.
“Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St. Petersburg?” Trump asked during the phone call, according to the sources. Zelensky replied: “Absolutely. We can, if you give us the weapons.”
According to a source with knowledge of the discussions in the White House, Trump's decision to escalate towards Russia was due to three reasons: on the one hand, he believed that Putin was disrespecting him, pretending to seek peace while ignoring Washington's request for a ceasefire; on the other hand, he assessed that the recent use of B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles against Iran demonstrated the effectiveness of American power; and finally, he believes that Putin will only sit at the negotiating table under the threat of greater military pressure.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is considering sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, in a move that could dramatically increase pressure on Russia, according to information cited by the Washington Post.
As for the Tomahawks now, they are the same missiles that were recently used to attack Iranian nuclear targets and, if launched from Ukrainian territory, would have the ability to reach Moscow and St. Petersburg. This issue was discussed last Friday, but sources say that the Tomahawks are currently excluded from the list of deliveries to Kiev. “They could be deployed later if Trump wants to further increase the negotiating pressure on Russia,” it is characteristically noted.
At the same time, information from Washington circles indicates that the US president will give the "green light" for the full use of the 18 long-range ATACMS missiles already in Ukraine, utilizing their maximum effective range of 300 kilometers. Although the ATACMS cannot reach Moscow or St. Petersburg, they give Kiev the ability to strike military bases, airports and fuel depots deep inside Russian territory, which until now were out of range. The military aid package under preparation is also considering sending additional ATACMS.
According to reports, Pentagon officials have been requesting for months that Ukraine be given permission to conduct deeper strikes inside Russia using ATACMS.
Source: protothema.gr
