White House Confirms Trump Asked Zelensky About Moscow, St. Petersburg Strikes

President Donald Trump recently asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if Kyiv could strike Moscow and St. Petersburg if provided with long-range weapons, following a disappointing call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump’s inquiry was framed by the White House as mere curiosity, not encouragement of further violence, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accusing media outlets like the Financial Times of taking his words out of context to generate clicks. Zelensky reportedly confirmed Ukraine's capability to hit targets deep inside Russia if supplied with the necessary arms, a move intended to pressure Moscow toward peace negotiations. Trump has also pledged to impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russia's trade partners if a peace deal is not reached soon and announced a deal for NATO allies to finance US weapons supplied to Ukraine. Despite Trump's expressed frustration with Putin and efforts to end the war, the Kremlin views the increased US support and tariff threats as signals to continue the conflict rather than pursue peace. The situation highlights Trump's complex balancing act between military support to Ukraine and diplomatic engagement with Russia amid escalating violence in the region.