According to a report by the U.S. “War Zone” website on July 15, The Financial Times had previously reported that Trump had incited Ukrainian President Zelensky to use remote weapons against Moscow. In response, Donald Trump denied rumors on July 15 that he would provide Ukraine with long-range missiles.
When asked whether he would provide such missiles to Ukraine, Trump expressed surprise and said, “No, we don’t want to do that.” He also urged Ukrainian President Zelensky to restrain his attacks on the Russian capital.
F-16 carrying JASSM missiles
When asked if he was standing with Ukraine, Trump said, “I’m not standing for anyone.” He also stated that Russia should agree to a ceasefire agreement within 50 days or face sanctions.
In recent days, Trump and NATO leaders have indicated that due to Russia’s lack of “negotiating sincerity,” they have decided to resume providing Ukraine with F-16s. Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Luttery announced yesterday that Kyiv will receive additional Patriot missile units to counter Russian air threats.
Trump stated that several European countries would pay for the Patriot missile system, and in some cases, these systems would be redeployed from existing active Patriot units in Europe to Ukraine, after which the United States would supplement new Patriot battalions to Europe.
Trump also mentioned that if Russian President Putin refuses to stop attacking Ukraine within 50 days, he would impose new sanctions on Russia.
Axios quoted sources on Monday saying that the United States will sell about $10 billion worth of weapons to NATO allies in the first wave, including missiles, more anti-aircraft and artillery shells.
Just as Trump accused Putin of continuing the Ukraine war, The Financial Times on the 15th revealed explosive news that according to insiders, President Trump had privately encouraged Ukraine to intensify its strikes against Russia during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Financial Times reported that Trump even asked Zelensky, “Vladimir, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit Saint Petersburg?”. Zelensky reportedly responded, “Of course. As long as you give us these weapons, we can.”
Insiders stated that Trump supported this idea, stating it was to “make them (the Russians) feel pain” and force the Kremlin back to the negotiating table.
Two sources familiar with the content of the conversation and discussions about US-Ukraine military strategy also revealed that the weapons discussed by both sides included the American ATACMS long-range artillery missiles and the air-launched AGM-158B cruise missiles (JASSM).
David Ignatius, a columnist for The Washington Post, offered a more sensational piece of news, saying that Trump once considered providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles. These weapons were recently used by the United States in the “Midnight Hammer” operation last month to target Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility.
In response to Trump’s trade tariff threats against Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council, expressed on social media on July 15 that Trump had issued a dramatic final demand to the Kremlin. The world was shocked by this and awaited the consequences. He also mentioned that the European Union has fallen into disappointment, while Russia is indifferent to this situation.