US President Donald Trump privately encouraged Ukraine to expand its attacks into Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy if Ukraine could hit Moscow if the US supplied long-range weapons, the Financial Times reported on July 15.
The reported conversation took place during a July 4 call between Trump and Zelenskyy. It signals a significant shift from Trump’s earlier position on the war in Ukraine and his campaign pledge to scale back US involvement in overseas conflicts.
Although it’s still unclear whether the US will provide the requested weapons, the discussion reflects Trump’s growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unwillingness to engage in ceasefire negotiations, despite Trump’s past claim that he could end the war within a single day.
This conversation adds to a broader series of events that have shaped the ongoing conflict. In April 2014, Russia-backed separatists seized control of several Ukrainian towns, shortly after Russia annexed Crimea in the months of February-March 2014. Then, in early 2022, Russia amassed troops along the Ukrainian border, leading to the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
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